


Never Had A Friend Like Me

by Bookwormgal



Series: Never Had A Friend Like Me [1]
Category: Fairly OddParents
Genre: Birthday Candle, Bullying, Butterfly Net, Canadians Suffer, Character Development, Chess, Child Neglect, Christmas, ComicFan!Trixie, Crocker is Crazy, Cute Kids, Da Rules, Different Types Of Magic, Fairies, Fortune Cookies, Friendship, Gen, Genie in a Lava Lamp, Intergenerational friendship, Loopholes, Low Self-Esteem, Magic, Mind Manipulation, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Nicknames, Norm Hates Canada, Not All Love is Romantic, Pixies, Pocket Dimensions - Freeform, Popularity, Post-Fairy Idol, Post-Timmy's Secret Wish, Pre-Fairly Odd Pet, Redemption, Revenge Plots, Sarcasm, School Dances, Self-aware Boils, Shyness, Sources of Magic, Substitute Parental Figure, Transformation, Using Sound Effects as Verbs, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Wishes, anti-fairies - Freeform, keeping secrets, kids in peril, phenomenal cosmic power, selflessness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 153,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1970703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookwormgal/pseuds/Bookwormgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of "Fairy Idol," Norm's lava lamp ends up in a second-hand store and eventually gets purchased as a cheap gift for a eight year-old girl named Amanda Adams. And as far as he's concerned, the little kid was weird. After 50,000 years, he thought he knew everything he needed to know about humanity. But this one refused to fit the normal pattern. Why didn't she make impulsive, dumb, greedy wishes like the rest of them? What was WRONG with her? And why did he care about her strangeness? Why did he care at all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by a number of factors. First, I really like Disney's "Aladdin." The title should give that away. I'll likely be drawing some inspiration from there to fill in some details about genies that aren't covered on "Fairly OddParents." We have plenty of information about fairies and their various quirks from the show, but very little in comparison about genies. So, I'll be using "Aladdin" or my imagination for anything I need to fill in the gaps. Second, I found Norm to be an interesting character and thought it would be fun to see some more of him. Third, most stories on the site that deal with the idea of Norm gradually losing some of his bitterness and jerkiness towards everyone in the universe tends to involve him falling in love with some teenage or young twenty-something girl who ended up with his lamp. If we remember the fact that he has several thousand years on any mortal and this would be an extreme age difference for this hypothetical couple, I really don't feel like following that pattern. Romance is important and everything (Power of Love, True Love's Kiss, blah blah blah), but I think that Norm would rather date another genie rather than a human girl. But as important as romantic love is, there are other types of relationships that are equally important for a story. Look at Timmy and his fairy godparents and fairy god-brother: their family relationship is a big part of the entire show. And four, I wanted to create a kid with a worse life than Timmy (without crossing into physical abuse or anything that horribly dark) and still have an excuse for why they don't have fairies of their own. Someone with every right to be miserable, but doesn't seem to believe she does. Someone even a jerk like Norm couldn't help but feel a little sorry for. I like a challenge, apparently. 
> 
> Timmy Turner and other familiar faces will eventually show up, but Norm will be the only canon character in the beginning. So be patient. The rest of the regular cast will be in the story later on.

You know, it was probably a good thing for him that Jorgen Von Strangle was both married and incredibly dense. He wasn't even certain if the guy even knew or remembered what the lamp really was by this point. If it wasn't for the Toothfairy deciding to do some remodeling, specifically the bathroom, and if the muscle-bound idiot had ever really noticed or mentioned the lava lamp's disappearance when she redecorated, he might still be stuck dealing with the smell. His lamp was _not_ intended to deodorize _anything_.

Now, he was dealing with a series of trash cans and dumps. No one really touched the lamp for more than a second before _poofing_ or tossing it somewhere else out of the way. At some point, he ended up back on Earth. He didn't really notice at what point this happened or how much time was passing, but it didn't really surprise him. Garbage always seemed to end up everywhere eventually and humanity was the best at making messes. Still, humans were the easiest chumps to trick, so he wasn't going to complain about ending back on the planet. Even if his lava lamp was currently resting next to a couple of old tires and a tin can that smelled like fish.

He could wait. Eventually, someone would find the lava lamp and rub it. It was only a matter of time until another petty, selfish idiot let him out. And he could plan his revenge while he waited.

The list of targets was growing rather long by now. Canada. He still needed to deal with the country. No one should have it that good for that long. It wasn't fair. He could also see about arranging another Mars trip for Crocker, if he managed to get out before Spazzy McCrazy died of old age. Granted, that would be for more entertainment than revenge, but that man's effect on his sanity during their short alliance was rather annoying and deserved further punishment.

Of course, there was also his main target for revenge. Timmy Turner. A ten year old, bucked-tooth kid should not keep beating him. He underestimated him when they first met, not expecting the boy to break away from the usual three wishes formula. Rather than stupid wish, big life changer wish, and reset wish, Timmy Turner actually asked for a lawyer. If he'd not been so stunned, he would have provided an incompetent one. He should have been more prepared for that since the kid had experience at wishing, but he hadn't been considering the boy as a threat at the time and simply treated him like any other stupid human. Every encounter ended with a similar result: some tiny overlooked detail or unexpected twist would give the child the victory.

Well, that would soon change. He would not treat Turner as another idiot, but as a clever and dangerous opponent. Even if the kid _did_ normally act like he barely had two brain cells to rub together, he refused to underestimate him again. Norm would win this time. Nothing would stop him from having his revenge this time. Turner would suffer.

…Just as soon as he got out of his lava lamp, that is.

* * *

She stepped out of her room, not certain whether or not to even bring it up. It wasn't a big deal, really. Her parents were busy and didn't need to be bothered. When you got down to it, today was just another day. Why should she say anything about it?

She tugged at her oversized teal turtleneck, practically hiding half her face behind the fabric. She knew Grandma would have insisted she remind her parents. Actually, the old woman would have scolded them for forgetting in the first place. But Grandma had been gone for almost four years, so she would have to do it.

The brunette child walked slowly into the living room. It was a clean and neat room, like out of a magazine. The white-walled, white-carpeted room with the expensive furniture was designed to be sleek and professional, a room for adults. Most of the house was like that. If someone looked around the place, they would never guess that the married couple had a daughter. They simply liked the lifestyle of the working professional; she understood that.

"Um… Mom. Dad," she began slowly, standing on the far side of the glass coffee table with the decorative statuette on it. She waited until both adults glanced in her direction from where they sat on the leather couch. Happily, it only took a few seconds for that confused and annoyed expression that always occurred when she bothered them to fade off of their faces this time. "I'm about to go to school, but I thought… I should remind you what today is." She tugged at the straps of her purple backpack nervously, "It's… my birthday."

"Oh… right," her mother muttered. She frowned slightly, apparently searching her memory. The brown-haired woman often needed to do that when dealing with her child. But she was a busy person and had lots to think about at work. "You're turning… five."

"Eight," the girl corrected quietly.

"Of course, Amanda," she continued, unfazed by the mistake.

Her father, sighing tiredly, asked, "And I suppose you would like a present and cake?"

"You… don't _have_ to," the child answered the mustached man. "But it is kind of tradition."

Her father was even busier than her mother and he was in charge of the family's finances. She knew he would be less than thrilled with using their income on frivolous things. And the fancy furniture, fancy clothes, and fancy restaurants weren't frivolous. They worked hard all day and deserved a few rewards. It would be greedy of her to want her parents to waste their hard-earned money on presents _and_ cake. She was only bringing it up because Grandma would want her to at least mention it.

"Do you know how much it would cost to get a cake? And it is nothing but sugar and empty calories," pointed out her mother, actually meeting her daughter's gaze.

Amanda knew what her parent saw. She knew what she looked like, standing there anxiously as she tugged her sleeves further down. Her oversized teal turtleneck swallowed most of her small form. Her plain jeans and white shoes made her seem more ordinary and bland. Her brown eyes always seemed to be drifting to the ground, giving the impression that she wanted to disappear. The only trait that didn't match the portrayal of someone wanting to hide was the big teal blue bow that tied back her straight brown hair. She knew what she looked like, but didn't know if her parents approved of the mouse-like child or would have rather had one more assertive.

"Perhaps we can pick up a small gift later if we find time," her father finally remarked. "But that is all."

A smile flickered across her face. They might really get her a present? She couldn't ask for anything more. Maybe they would even stay home and spend her birthday together…

No, that would be too much. But a gift would still be nice.

"Thank you," Amanda informed them both. "I'll see you after school."

Their attention was already off of her, the adults returned to the newspaper and business reports in front of them. She didn't mind. They were busy people, after all.

* * *

Things were improving slightly. His lamp was out of the dump. A rather dirty individual had scavenged it and a few other items from among the trash. Then he swiftly sold them to a second-hand junk store of some type, which was apparently a common money-making scheme of his if Norm had to judge from the conversation with the store owner. The genie knew that he stood a better chance of gaining a new chump of a master here than in the garbage, so he certainly was feeling more optimistic.

The lava lamp now sat in a cardboard box with a few old records, a can opener, and a pair of fuzzy dice. It rather reminded him of Mr. Birkenbake's garage sale where he first met Turner. Happily, there was a definite lack of Smoof vacuums lying around the store. That kept the déjà vu from being too annoyingly great.

Norm was just about to start getting comfortable when a woman walked into the store. He liked to think that he was a fairly good judge when it came to women, though his preferences tended to fall a few thousand years older than this particular individual. And he could tell she didn't belong here. She had plenty of money; her business suit and sleek cell phone told him that. There was no reason why she should need to come to a junk store like this one.

"I know that the business dinner is tonight," the brunette woman remarked to whoever was on the phone. "My husband and I won't be late. I just have to take care of a few things first." She paused a moment as the other person spoke before explaining, "I have to pick up a gift. A waste of time and money, but it's expected."

She glanced around the store and seemed to randomly select something out of the various boxes of junk. By a stroke of chance, her manicured nails wrapped around his lava lamp.

"No, not until Friday," she continued her conversation, absently handing the store owner a small handful of dollar bills and took the change. Really, his lamp was being sold for six dollars? That was just pathetic. The woman kept speaking, her conversation over some strange topic did not even pause as she completed the transaction, "But they won't be late. I promise."

Norm could already feel a smirk forming. He might be out and messing with a new master before nightfall. And, if he played his cards right, he might even be able to check on what Turner was up to.

* * *

Another day at Shadowville Elementary School was over. Happily, none of the usual bullies notice her today. On the other hand, _no one_ noticed her. Not that she wasn't used to such treatment from her peers, but she would have liked to have a friend. She tried talking to people in the past, but no one really seemed to like her company. Now, it was easier to stay in the background and leave them alone. They didn't want to be friends with someone like her anyway, so she shouldn't nag and bother them. The other kids had their own friends and didn't need her bugging them.

As she reached home, a quick glance in the garage at the shiny car proved that her parents were still home. Maybe they hadn't forgotten about her birthday. She allowed herself to hope, but she didn't quite get excited yet. There would be no reason to get upset if they didn't remember or couldn't stay. They were busy people with busy lives. Them actually being home to meet her was a good sign, but she shouldn't be disappointed about anything that might happen.

Amanda slipped inside the house, quiet as a mouse. Her parents were already dressed to go out. Her father was wearing his suit with his mustache freshly trimmed and her mother was wearing her red dress. She knew they had plans, but at least they were home for a few minutes.

"I'm home," she mumbled unnecessarily.

"We'll be out late. There's food in the kitchen. Don't make a mess," her mother remarked, checking her hair in the mirror. She paused briefly and picked up something from the coffee table. "It isn't wrapped, but we bought you a birthday present."

Amanda smiled as her parent handed her a neat squishy lamp from the seventies. The gloopy stuff inside was purple, her second favorite color. But the best thing was that it was from her parents. They took time out of their busy lives to get her the lava lamp. She couldn't ask for anything better.

"Thank…" she began, but both adults were already heading out to the car.

Well, she could thank them later. She would just have to wait until they weren't busy. Maybe tomorrow or the next day.

Carrying her new lamp, which was not nearly as heavy as she expected, Amanda headed towards her room. Unlike the rest of the house, it didn't look like it was professionally decorated. But it did look a bit beige. The walls and carpet were that boring brown color that houses tended to be when they were first built. It wasn't a bad thing; they used the money to redecorate the rest of the house in areas the entire family used. Beside more colorful walls would probably clash with her plain furniture and basic purple bedspread. Beside her bed was a small nightstand with an alarm clock. On her dresser were a hairbrush and a picture frame from when she and Grandma were at the park when she was three. The small collection of books, a couple of board games, and a handful of stuffed animals finished up the room.

Setting the lamp down on her night stand, the girl opened her backpack and pulled out her stuffed toy bear. Teddy was a gift from Grandma on her fourth birthday. She took it everywhere with her. One of the teachers had once referred to it as being a comfort item for her. She generally tried to not let people know she carried it around since her classmates would make fun of her for keeping her Teddy with her all the time. But regardless, she kept it.

She placed the stuffed animal on her pillow where it belonged. Now satisfied that Teddy was properly positioned, Amanda turned her attention back to her gift. The lava lamp was rather neat, but it was also kind of dirty. There was an ugly black smear across the glass surface that looked a little like grease. Well, that was easy to fix.

The girl reached over and started rubbing at the unwanted mark in an attempt to remove it. She barely started her task before a teal blue smoke began to spew out of the lava lamp. Amanda's jaw dropped as she scurried away from the source of the disturbance. It didn't take more than a few moments to see a solid figure in the middle of the chaos.

The entity was clearly male, close to an adult in size, and human-ish. Only "human- _ish_ " because from the waist down was a teal blue smoky tail-thing instead of legs. The rest of him looked more normal. He wore a red sash around the waist and a teal blue vest over a white shirt with a red bow tie. His sleeveless arms had a few golden bracelets on his wrists and biceps. He had a dark hair and a goatee. He wore a pair of sunglasses, an earring, and his long hair was pulled back with a gold little something. Overall, he was rather strange and definitely not human.

"Hello, insert human's name here," he greeted, reading off a tiny card. "My name is Norm." The strange being used his tail to briefly write out his name. "And I'm your very own magical genie."

He then took a moment to create a large pink sign with glowing writing that read "Norm: Magical Genie" out of thin air with by snapping his fingers. The sign remained in place for a few moments before the letter "M" in his name flickered out and swung loose from its bolted position. He left it there for only a couple of more seconds before it vanished in another teal cloud of smoke.

Finishing off of what was clearly a planned speech, he explained, "Which means you get three wishes."

* * *

He was waiting for a reaction. The kid was just staring at him after his standard greeting. Normally, his newest master would either be making the stupid first wish or at least asking questions. This time, there was just some staring.

"Uh, hello? Is there anyone actually inside that giant sweater or am I talking to myself here?" he asked, trying to prod a response from the child.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered, tugging at the neck of her oversized shirt so that even less of her face was visible. He wasn't that enthusiastic about working for another kid. His last two encounters ended badly: Timmy humiliated him and Chester prevented his revenge against the bucked-toothed idiot. This child couldn't possibly be worse, however. She seemed to be having trouble even meeting his gaze as she mumbled, "It is very nice to meet you, Norm. My name is Amanda Adams."

"Alliteration. How adorable," he remarked dryly, rolling his eyes. "So what do you want, kid? Wait, let me guess. A giant sandwich?"

She shook her head, "No, thank you. There's some macaroni and cheese I can make in the kitchen. Would you like some?"

The genie raised an eyebrow at the offer. Did the kid not get it? He was a magical genie bound to grant any wish she might make. Okay, he would naturally find a way to twist the request into a manner that would be of the greatest suffering for the human and the greatest entertainment for himself. That was his right as the jerk genie in the arrangement. But he needed a selfish, short-sighted human to make the wish first before he could twist it horribly. She was supposed to make a wish, _not_ offer him _dinner_.

"Okay, how about asking to be queen of the planet. A boy you have a crush on falling for you? A normal sized turtleneck?" he suggested. "Come on. Three magic wishes, with no rules to limit your desires, are yours to use however you like. You just have to ask."

"But I don't need that stuff," she answered. She picked up her teddy bear off of the bed and hugged it tightly. "I can't think of anything to ask for. But thank you anyway, Norm."

There was something seriously wrong with this little girl. He was a fifty thousand year old genie with untold numbers of masters on his resume. He would like to believe that he had a firm grasp on human nature by this point. Almost all of them would always follow the same pattern of wishing and he could usually predict how any situation with humanity involved would turn out. But this kid was refusing to follow his expectations. Where was the impulsive, self-centered, greedy wishing?

"Look, I don't know if you're just particularly dense or something, but you rubbed the lamp. You let me out. And then you make all of your wishes. I grant them and then get forcibly sucked back into the lava lamp when we're done with this little arrangement," he explained slowly. "Do you get it now? You rub, I show up, you wish, I grant, and then I go back in the lamp until the next barely-evolved ape comes along. That's how the world works."

When she didn't immediately react, he snatched his shades off and stared at her with an expression of exasperation. Why didn't she do anything a normal person would? Wish for money, power, love, _something_. Little kids especially weren't supposed to have self-control. He didn't like it when someone didn't fit with the pattern. Turner messed with his pattern by sucking him into a Smoof vacuum, forcing him to turn over another three wishes, and asking for a lawyer. No dumb kid asked for a lawyer. It didn't fit the pattern. Moral of the story: when someone didn't follow the traditional three wishes pattern, bad things happened to him. It was frustrating to deal with and he didn't want this turtleneck-engulfed girl to turn out to be the next Turner.

"I… I don't think… What about if…," she stuttered uneasily, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry, Norm. I can't… I don't need anything, really. I shouldn't have bothered you. I'm sorry."

Losing patience with her, he slammed his hand across his face and groaned, "Look, apparently this entire situation is too much for your tiny five year old brain to handle."

"Eight," she corrected quietly.

"Whatever," the genie continued. If she wasn't going to make a wish immediately, he might as well make use of the opportunity to spend some time out of the lamp. He would have to leave the lava lamp here, but that wasn't much of a risk. Any type of genie container tended to be durable; it wouldn't break if the kid just dropped it. "How about this? Whenever you make up your mind about what kind of wish you want, just rub the lava lamp to let me know. Until then, I'll head out on an overdue vacation and you better not bug me until you're ready to start wishing. Got it, Shorty?"

She nodded and he _gonged_ out of there. He didn't doubt that she would snap out of that stupid stunned state soon and summon him back to begin her wishing. So he intended to make the most of his short break. Time to visit Canada.

* * *

He snapped his fingers and disappeared with an odd _gong_ sound. Actually, she remembered that noise when he first arrived, but the smoke had been too distracting at the time. Amanda felt the whole thing had been a little overwhelming. Magic and genies were both real and one named Norm lived in her new lava lamp. He even offered her three wishes. But he was gone now, as if he'd never even existed.

She didn't really have any wishes she needed granting. She hadn't done anything worthy of such a thing. There were plenty of people who deserved wishes; she should give the lava lamp to one of them instead. And yet, she couldn't do that either. What if they asked Norm to do something bad? It would be her fault. Amanda couldn't let just anyone have the lamp since she couldn't be certain what they might wish for.

Besides, it didn't really seem fair to pass Norm's home around like that. He should be able to go on a vacation or decide who had his lava lamp if he wanted. It wasn't really her place to tell him what to do.

Still, it would have been nice to have someone to talk to. Or maybe even play board games with. Maybe if he came back, she could ask him if he'd like to…

No. He wouldn't want to spend time with her. She shouldn't pester him with childish things. H was probably busy like her parents with his own concerns. Why would he want to bother with her if he didn't have to? She would probably never see him again. Which was perfectly fine since they barely knew each other and she had no excuse to grow attached to the strange being or even feel bad about him leaving. She had no excuse at all.

With only a final long look at the purple lava lamp on her night stand, the eight year old brunette wandered towards the kitchen with the intention of making dinner. She'd learned how to make herself some basic meals years ago.


	2. Exceptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that I do not offend anyone from Canada. Norm's the one with the problem with the country, not me. The characters' opinions do not reflect my own.

His first week after his lamp was rubbed by the reluctant wisher was a busy one. He completely expected the girl to come to her senses at any second and summon him back. Thus, he did his best to maximize his free time.

First, he visited a certain northern country with a variety of ideas bouncing through his head. He contemplated everything from a plague of ravenous wolverines to relocating the entire population to some distant planet. Finally, he decided to keep it simple and understated: he melted every ice hockey rink across the border. It was strangely more satisfying to mess with a national pastime and throw the entire country into a state of fanatic fury and horror rather than simply leaving the landscape of Canada as a smoldering crater.

Then, he _gonged_ up a file from Fairy World. He needed to see what his opponent had been up to lately and he knew Jorgen would keep Turner's record up-to-date. No one would notice the file being missing for the short amount of time it would take him to skim through the material. He needed to be prepared for the next encounter. As he flipped through the pages, Norm couldn't keep his eyes from widening at some of the contents. Apparently he was nowhere near the only magical enemy the boy had earned. The genie might not have much practical experience with anti-fairies (though anyone's who purpose was causing problems for mortals sounded like his kind of person) and pixies, but they apparently had a few grudges against Turner due to him thwarting their "take over random location and/or destroy random target" plans repeatedly. Simply the fact that the now-eleven year old was still unharmed with two groups of magical enemies either proved how dangerous and competent the kid was or that anti-fairies and pixies were completely useless. Further reading suggested it was the first option. Turner apparently defeated the Darkness, an entity of such power that even being stuck in a lava lamp hadn't kept Norm from hearing stories of its attack on Fairy World millennia ago. That would have certainly put the kid in Fairy World's good books, except he apparently also made a secret wish. From his time reading through Da Rules, he knew that was a serious offense. And since fairies were so concerned about rules, Turner had barely escaped losing his fairy godparents permanently.

All of this information meant that not only was the boy creative and could get around most problems thrown his way, but he would probably also be watched closely by Jorgen and the Fairy Council since he had such a interesting past. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for him to either save the day again or mess up horribly enough to require drastic measures. Putting these two facts together meant that messing around with Turner could be tricky and would require plenty of planning. _Gonging_ the file back where it belonged, he reluctantly decided to postpone his revenge against him until he was able to prepare a fool-proof method.

His first two orders of business dealt with, the genie decided to begin actually relaxing on his vacation. The next few days were spent on a number of tropical beaches and other entertaining locations. He even spent some time in Las Vegas. He also managed to track down a few rather attractive female genies for company. It rather reminded him of his short time as Turner's "fairy godparent" when he refused to make wishes, minus the stapled-on wings and the magical build-up problem. In his opinion, it was the best week of his life.

And one week turned into two weeks. Happily, he didn't end up turning into confetti and colorful ribbons simply because he wasn't granting wishes. That was one advantage genies had over fairies, apparently. Then two weeks became three. Then it became a whole month of absolute freedom to do whatever he wanted. He would never complain about such a luxury, but he couldn't help wondering _why_ he was getting all this free time. The girl, whatever her name was, should have rubbed the lava lamp already. Did she lose it? Was that human actually stupid enough to lose the lamp of a genie? Because that was the only logical explanation he could come up with. No human that he knew of would actually _choose_ not to use three magical wishes for a whole month.

Deciding he needed a new distraction, Norm _gonged_ himself to the Himalayas. If he had all this spare time on his hands, he might as well visit an old friend.

* * *

She noticed his arrival as soon as he appeared in her cave. Though, "cave" didn't quite describe the location appropriately. It looked like something out of "1001 Arabian Nights." Partially because she liked the decorative rugs and oil lamps and partially it was expected of her. If she was going to float around in an emerald green belly dancer outfit, she might as finish the look with the appropriate furnishings. She'd moved here around 1500 years ago and found it to be rather cozy and private.

The female genie tossed her dark olive green hair over her shoulder and greeted the familiar face, "Hey, Norm. Long time, no see."

"Hey there, Tanda," he smiled, tilting his head so he could look at her over his shades. "Did you miss me, Sweetheart?"

She shook her head, "You know that never works on me, Casanova. I prefer my guys a little less conceited."

"Oh, you wound me," he chuckled, grabbing at his chest dramatically. "How will I live with a single female hermit not swooning over me? I don't know if the numerous other women that throw themselves at will be able to make up for all this emotional pain."

"I'm sure you'll survive," she rolled her eyes. "So how's life in the knickknack?"

"Hey, just because you only needed to bat your eyes at the first male to pick up your bottle for the chump to free you doesn't mean you're better than me," he retaliated. "I'd just rather use my amazing intellect rather than my unbelievable good looks."

Tanda laughed at Norm's comments. Any time they managed to run into each other, they tended to have fun at each other's expenses or simply making fun of humanity. He usually had more difficulty getting enough freedom to visit since he still had to spend decades at a time trapped. Very few genies, after all, were lucky enough to charm their way free of their lamp or bottle.

"So tell me, Mr. Good Looks," the green-haired genie remarked, "what brings you to my humble abode?"

He shrugged, "My newest master is weird. She hasn't made even one wish in a month. So I've been kicking back, relaxing, and seeing the sights. I figured that, since I was in the neighborhood, I'd drop in."

"'She'? You new master's a 'she'?" she smirked. "Have you tried your charms on her yet, Norm?"

"She's a child," she dismissed. "Besides, I prefer dating within my own species."

"A child who won't make wishes? But they _love_ making wishes. Why do you think they get along so well with fairies?" She considered the oddity for a few moments. Eventually, the female genie came to a conclusion and it left her grinning in amusement. "No wonder you think she's weird," Tanda remarked, feeling a little smug. "You've never run into one of them before."

"One of what?"

"One of _them_. The exceptions."

"Okay, did I take a wrong turn and end up in Egypt? Because right now you're sounding like a sphinx. Now drop the riddles and start speaking sense."

She reached over and tugged his goatee, earning an annoyed glare from the impatient genie. Poor guy had no idea what he was dealing with. The only reason she did was because, due to being free for so long, she'd encountered even more humans than him. The kind of people she was talking about was incredibly rare and difficult to find. They hardly ever ended up finding lamps.

"The exception to the rule," she explained. "You know what humans are like. Impulsive, selfish, greedy, self-centered, short-sighted, easily manipulated, easily distracted, prone to the same mistakes and choices, stupid, and essentially a pain to deal with and entertaining to mess with." She paused briefly before stating, "Well, there are exceptions to any rule. And it sounds like you found one."

The confused look on his face was rather entertaining. It was harder to stun someone with several thousand years of experience, but definitely worth the effort.

"I think the thin air is messing with your head," he remarked dryly. "All humans are essentially the same. The same personality, the same behavior, and the same wishes. They always follow the same pattern."

"Except for your new 'weird' master," she pointed out. "Very few exist, but exceptions do pop up every now and then. The crazy, thoughtful human who doesn't want or feels they don't deserve what magic could offer them. They tend to be taken advantage of by the rest of the population and some eventually turn into normal selfish people, but they're out there. And they're especially fun to watch since their actions are harder to predict. They're entertaining."

"Terrific," he grumbled dryly. "You've gone insane. I guess I should just be happy you're spouting nonsense rather than spazzing out. We don't need another Crocker running around."

"Who?" she asked.

"Never mind," he dismissed.

She patted his shoulder, "You should be enjoying your luck. Your master apparently doesn't care what you do and doesn't want anything. You get almost all of the benefits of being free and none of the drawbacks. You can go where you want, do what you want, you don't have some idiot trying to boss you around, and you still get to run around at full power. Sounds like a win-win to me. At least until she dies or your lamp gets passed to a new master. So, be happy about it. Enjoy life, Norm."

"Trust me, I'd be thrilled by the prospect, but I'm not getting my hopes up over something impossible. She's weird, but she's also human. She'll eventually get past whatever quirk her delayed reaction is and start the poorly-conceived wishing. That's how the universe works."

She stared at him in disbelief for several moments before commenting slowly, "Well, if you _had_ taken a detour to Egypt, you would probably have noticed that Denial is not just a river there." Tanda gave him a sympathetic smile she knew annoyed him. "I was just leaving when you arrived. The Running of the Bulls is just about to start. And I do enjoy watching the silly mortals when they aren't fast enough. We'll have to do this again in a few centuries. Don't be a stranger."

Eventually he would either start enjoying such an uninvolved master completely or that grumpy genie would stay suspicious the entire time. In the end, it didn't matter which of them were right. All that mattered was that she got to seriously mess with his head. This could keep her entertained for two decades at least.

Tanda blew him a kiss in mock affection before snapping her fingers. Spain, here she comes.

* * *

She couldn't be right. He absolutely refused to even contemplate the idea that what that green-tailed genie told him, that the occasional human might not be the greedy and self-centered beings he'd dealt with since the beginning of his existence, could possibly be remotely true. He knew how humans acted. None of them could permanently resist the temptation of using magic for their own benefit; they would always succumb. Even Chester, before his supposed World-Improving Grand Tour to spread good will and other such garbage to the entire planet, tried to initially make the giant sandwich wish and did succeed in asking for magical assistance in gaining his friend's attention. Humans were predictable. Their very nature dictates that they are nothing more than selfish jerks. Tanda's proposed exceptions couldn't be real. And he intended to prove it.

Norm _gonged_ back to the girl's hometown, a charmingly dull place called Shadowville. As far as he could tell, the most excitement this town ever received was the local cat getting stuck in a tree. The sky seemed perpetually overcast and heartless corporations had apparently taken over half the downtown with their bland buildings. From his knowledge of the species, pixies would have loved that part of the town, the part that seemed to divide the population down the middle. Sterile office buildings, exceedingly over-priced restaurants, fashionable boutiques, and expensive gathering places for the rich and successful made up the north end of Shadowville. The other half seemed to be made of junk stores, used clothing stores, seedy bars, and other small refuges for the less savory elements of the community. The stark contrast seemed to leave very little space for those who existed between the monetary extremes.

Rather than show up in the kid's room, Norm was taking a few moments to scout out the situation. If he knew what kind of place she grew up in, he might be able to figure out what made her tick. He would know which buttons to push. He would be able to say the perfect things to prompt the girl to start wishing, to start acting greedy, to prove that _he_ was _right_. By this point, it wasn't even the wishing that he was most concerned with. It was demonstrating that Tanda's assessment was completely insane. He had to prove that he was right about humanity; it was the principle of the thing.

Her house certainly, from the outside, looked like her family was on the richer end of the town's split. It wasn't a mansion, but it certainly was expensive. Beautiful stonework, a pair of white columns at the front entrance, and a perfectly-trimmed landscaping all sat in a very nice neighborhood. The whole place looked like something from television or a magazine. It also looked like it was the source of the Stepford Wives, making him wonder when the robot replacements would show up. This appearance clashed briefly with his memory of her room, which he recalled being rather plain and empty, but the genie swiftly dismissed it as unimportant.

Getting into the house itself was easy for a being that could simply teleport past locked doors. Even better, it seemed like no one was home yet, so he had time to look around. The interior continued the "perfect home" images. It was white, clean, and neat in every detail. Everything was organized and in its place, with not even a piece of lint to disturb the perfection. If he could use one word to summarize the place, he'd call it "sterile."

"All it is missing is the antiseptic smell," he muttered, glancing around at the modern furniture and sleek-collection of bric-a-brac.

The mantle over the unlit gas fireplace held a few silver picture frames. He'd expected to see the classic corny family photo sitting there: birthday parties, a trip to the zoo, or maybe even just a normal day captured on film. Instead, all of the pictures were professional work. The subjects were wearing formal outfits and were clearly posed. The most personal photo was the wedding picture in the middle. Oddly absent was the little kid's image from the collection. Didn't most parents plaster their children's faces all over the place?

He knew he was in the right place. This was the house that the weird girl lived in. So where was the evidence of her existence?

Deciding to go poke around in the kid's room before she and the rest of the household showed up, Norm snapped his fingers. One _gong_ sound later and the genie appeared in the beige-painted space. It was as sparsely decorated as he recalled and still didn't seem to fit with the rest of the house. But, surprisingly, he wasn't alone in the room.

"Norm?" the brunette child asked hesitantly, sitting on the bed with a pair of well-worn stuffed animals in her hands. She was wearing her oversized teal turtleneck and hair bow again. It was almost exactly how he left her a month ago. His lava lamp was even still on the night stand, completely undisturbed. He couldn't believe it; she never even tried to summon him back. "You… came back?"

"You must be the strangest human on the planet. And I'm saying this after I met that crackpot, Crocker," he stated, staring at her intently. "A whole month without a single wish? Are you so dense that you don't know how to make a wish? Is that it?" When she didn't immediately respond, the genie started rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. Almost to himself, he grumbled, "We made the tutorial video to encourage _smart_ wishing, not to teach someone how to wish in the first place. Maybe it'll still work…"

"I… I just don't need anything," she mumbled. "I didn't want to bother you, Norm. But it's nice to see you again."

He stared at her for a few seconds silently, trying to figure out how to get the kid on track, before remarking carefully, "Look, it is becoming increasingly obvious that you are not getting the whole 'magical genie' thing, so I'll have to go over how it works slowly." He paused, a thought crossing his mind and reminding him that things could become more complicated at any second. "By the way, where are your parents or babysitter? I don't want one of them to come in and have everyone deciding to pass the lava lamp around."

The child slid off of the bed and explained, "Mom and Dad are working. They won't be back until really late. They're very busy people and have very busy lives."

"And the babysitter?"

"I don't have one."

Norm raised an eyebrow. Somehow leaving young kids to their own devices with no supervision did not sound like proper parenting technique. Even for someone with very little concern for anyone who wasn't a fellow genie, that seemed a little disquieting. Norm promptly shoved away that tiny squirming emotion that was _certainly_ not sympathy. He didn't care about the kid or what her life was like, after all. He was trying to prove a point to Tanda and that was all. Still, he was mildly curious about the absence of any type of supervision.

"Why don't you have a babysitter?"

Straightening slightly, placing her hands behind her back, and meeting his gaze firmly, the girl began to recite what was clearly a memorized speech she'd heard numerous times before, "Babysitters are a waste of money that we will not be dealing with. There is no reason to pay a teenage girl to take up space in the house, eating our food and talking to their boyfriend on our phone for hours, when we don't need to. If I can't remain out of trouble when I am on my own and thus making a babysitter necessary, I would be wasting my parents' money and I would be acting like nothing more than an unwanted drain on their finances."

He didn't know which was creepier: the fact she'd heard this speech enough times to have it in her memory well enough to deliver it herself or the emotionless way she delivered it. He'd heard that dead tone from a few genies over the millennia: those who resign themselves to their fates of being bound to their lamps and granting wishes for all eternities, no longer even bothering to twist the wishes or to even feel bad about the situation. The girl didn't seem bothered by what she was saying; she simply accepted it as reality.

Trying to drag the conversation back to the original topic and away from any more insights into the child's life that he didn't want to consider, Norm shook his head slightly and stated, "I think that your biggest problem with the whole 'genie situation' is that you're focusing on what you _need_. Wishes are supposed to be for what you _want_. So, I need you to use what little brains you have…" he struggled for a moment to recall her name," Amanda. Ask yourself, if you could have anything in the world, what would you _want_?"

Thankfully, the brunette girl seemed to be taking this serious and was thinking. She was biting her bottom lip slightly, her eyes dropping to the floor. She was certainly a shy, withdrawn thing. Unless she was reciting something, she never seemed to keep her gaze off the ground.

"The only thing I really want is… a friend," she mumbled eventually.

" _Finally_ ," the genie sighed, his mind already racing over possible ways to ruin the wish. Perhaps some personality-less human-like drones who always agreed with whatever she said and acting on statements literally would do the trick. Or he could brainwash a few kids from her school into being obsessed with her to the point of violence. "Glad to see you can actually make a…"

"No," she interrupted.

"What?"

"No, Norm. I can't wish for that. I'm sorry."

He knew he looked dumb with his jaw dangling open like that, but he couldn't help it. What was _with_ this _kid_? The first hint of a possible wish idea and she said she couldn't wish for it?

All he could manage to say in response to this girl's stubborn refusal to make a single wish was a tired, "Why not?"

"If I wish for a friend and you grant it, they wouldn't really be my friend. They'd only spend time with me because of magic, not because they liked me. I… can't make someone stay around me if they don't want to. It wouldn't be right." She paused, looking up at the staring genie briefly, before finishing hesitantly, "I'm sorry, Norm. I don't have anything to wish for. But… I was wondering… if you have any stories you could tell me. You know, since you're already here and everything. But I don't want to bother you, so you don't have to…"

As she trailed off, Norm shook his head in disbelief. A human who didn't seem to believe that magic was the ultimate answer to everything. She really didn't want to make a wish. This insane child was doing her absolute best to not fit into the pattern of humanity. She was breaking all of his expectations that he'd developed over uncountable masters to pieces. She was a freak of nature. She was an anomaly.

She was an exception to the rule.

He refused to admit what was becoming an obvious fact. He couldn't admit that Tanda was right. Not yet. He snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_. He needed to think. He needed to get away. He couldn't stay another second around the kid whose every action flew in the face of everything he thought he knew. He needed the world to make sense again. He would go somewhere tropical, relax, and not even think about the weird girl unless she decided to behave like a normal person: selfish, greedy, and completely unconcerned with the feelings of others as she wished recklessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tanda won't be having a big role. I just thought that Norm needed another genie to interact with. I got her name from Robert Asprin's "Another Fine Myth." Tanda (or Tananda, to use her full name) was a rather attractive woman with green hair and an olive complexion. I liked the name, so I borrowed it. Her personality, however, is completely my invention.
> 
> I do recommend you read the book (and the rest of the series). It is quite entertaining.


	3. Bullies and Teddy Bears

The fact he came back surprised her. Amanda never thought she would see the genie again after he left a month ago. She'd simply gone back to her normal life, never expecting Norm to abruptly appear in her room with a _gong_ sound. The genie had ended up seeming kind of frustrated near the end when she didn't make a wish and left abruptly, but he did come back in the first place. Maybe he'd even show up again someday.

Well, he might show up again if he wasn't too annoyed by her last request. She shouldn't have asked, but she thought that a magical genie would have some amazing stories. Grandma used to always tell her the most wonderful stories when she was younger. She missed hearing the incredible tales as her grandmother tucked her into her bed at night. She missed Grandma making her dinner, fixing the bow in her hair, taking her to the park, scolding her parents for not spending enough time with their daughter, and simply being around to talk to. She shouldn't have bothered Norm with that last question, but she wanted to be able to talk to someone so badly that she was willing to take a risk.

Amanda didn't know why she wanted to see _him_ specifically again so badly, why she wanted him to stay and talk to her. Maybe it was because, even if everything he said was not necessarily the nicest, he actually seemed to notice her. He even asked her a few questions. He seemed upset about her not wishing, but the genie's annoyed comments felt like real interactions with a person that seemed to actually think about her for more than five minutes. Even the bullies tended to ignore or forget her when they weren't currently targeting her. Other than Norm, the last time she recalled feeling truly noticed was by Grandma. Not even her parents…

The child abruptly felt guilty. Her parents were busy people with busy lives. It wasn't their fault that they couldn't pay attention to her all the time. She shouldn't distract and bother them. She had no right to be upset about how much of their time they did or did not spend with her. Their lives were very important and she shouldn't get in the way.

Maybe Norm would come back sometime. Maybe her request for a story wouldn't make him leave permanently. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to ever return. But it would be nice to see him again.

* * *

He had done absolutely everything he could think of for two weeks after he vanished from Amanda's room a second time. He chased down every freed female genie he could find, visited every popular vacation spot he could name, watched a number of sports, and gave all the Canadian Mounties dandruff so thick that it looked like their heads were covered in snow. He even risked a quick trip to Dimmsdale to arrange another conflict between Turner and Crocker, making certain no one realized he was behind it. He didn't get to witness the confrontation or any of the participants personally, but he figured the boy would have come close to losing his fairies and he _did_ know that Crockpot ended the day with boils on his face. He didn't expect that Turner would _actually_ lose his fairy godparents; it wasn't a real plan with much thought put into it and Norm didn't even consider it an actual attempt. But that wasn't really the point of this particular conflict. It was merely entertaining and he considered the annoyance and frustration of both involved served as partial revenge. Anything he'd not already done in the previous month, he did it now. He filled the two weeks with various activities.

But now… he didn't know what to do. This was the most time he'd ever been out of his lava lamp. Actually, he was rarely out for more than day or two at a time. A month and a half of uncompromised free time was practically unheard of. He'd done everything he'd ever wanted to practically and now he was at a loss about what to do next. He didn't want to risk a direct strike against Turner and he'd already been messing with Canada. And since it was clear that he wasn't going to be forcibly sucked back into his lamp anytime soon, he didn't really know where to go from there.

"I'm bored," grumbled the genie to himself. "I have all the freedom I could possibly want… and I'm bored." He shook his head, "Irony. It's only funny when it doesn't happen to you."

Norm briefly considered leaving Earth entirely in order to find something to do with all his free time, but rejected the notion just as quickly. None of the other inhabited planet in the universe particularly interested him, the lifeless rocks were boring, and the various worlds for magical creatures held even less appeal. Why should he go to Fairy World or anywhere like it simply to be insulted by the inhabitants? No, he was staying on Earth. It was easier and smarter.

In his efforts to figure out what to do with his spare time, he was forced to contemplate the reason why he had this free time. As much as he'd tried to ignore the fact that the weird little girl _still_ hadn't made even a single wish, he couldn't keep her completely out of his thoughts. The child, Amanda, didn't fit into his expectations. It was frustrating, but Norm had finally decided that continued denial over something so insanely obvious was stupid. Tanda was… right. At least one human fell outside of the normal pattern for her species. She was weird, she was certainly not impulsive, and she was frustratingly difficult to keep out of his head. His intention to not think about the kid had proven useless. The very oddity of her behavior that made her so difficult to consider also made her strangely intriguing. He didn't want to be this curious about the little girl, but the freak of nature made it too hard not to be.

Well, since he had all this spare time and didn't have anything better to do at the moment, he could go drop in and see what the kid was doing. It wouldn't take long and it would help reduce some of his curiosity if he gained some answers. If he figured out _why_ Amanda was so weird, maybe he'd stop worrying about her so much and he'd be able to get back to enjoying himself again.

* * *

The brunette child was trying to hurry and remain unnoticed at the same time. She had left her homework in her desk, meaning that she had to go back to get it. Now she ran the risk of missing the bus. And she also could catch the attention of Carl, something she really didn't want to do. He wasn't that nice of a person.

She was scurrying down the hallway, the homework in her hand. She didn't even see the arm shoot out from around the corner until it had already grabbed the strap of her backpack. The girl was yanked to a halt and the red-haired student stepped into view.

"What's your hurry?" Carl asked, shoving the turtleneck-enshrouded child to the floor while ripping the purple backpack off. "Me and Steve just wanted to have a little fun."

Amanda got a quick glimpse of Carl's black-haired friend as he leaned against the wall with a smirk. Most of her attention, however, was on the red-head in the blue jacket. He was currently digging through her backpack, dumping paper, spare change, and pencils to the ground. She could hear the wooden implements clatter against the ground and the coins made a noise that almost sounded like a _gong_.

"Please stop," she mumbled, her eyes sinking to her feet.

"But we're having fun, Squirt," chuckled Carl, throwing an eraser towards her head. She remained exactly where he left her on the floor, not even attempting to escape. His friend wouldn't let her make a run for it anyway. "Aren't you having fun?"

When she didn't immediately respond, Steve poked her in the side with his foot. Knowing what he wanted from her, she nodded slightly.

"And what would this be?" remarked the red-head as he pulled something out of her backpack. He held up the stuffed animal, Teddy, with a sneer across her face. "You brought your teddy bear to school? What a baby…"

"Please give it back," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

"You want it back? Sure," Carl replied, dropping the backpack. He grabbed the toy's head and pulled. With a sound of ripping fabric, the boy tore the stuffed animal apart. He tossed the decapitated body and excess fluff towards her, "Here's most of it." Smirking at the agonized expression on the girl's face, he threw the head to the floor and added, "And there's the rest. See you later, Squirt."

Without another word, the red-head and Steve began to walk down the hall and left her scrambling to gather her belongings. She stuffed her homework and school supplies back into her backpack as quickly as she could. Amanda knew she'd already missed her bus, but she wanted to get out of there before something else happened.

The girl glanced up, trying to see if Carl was truly leaving. As he and Steve neared the water fountain, she could have sworn she heard a faint _gong_. Abruptly, both boys slipped and fell.

"Where'd all this water come from?" asked Steve. "Did someone break the water fountain again?"

The red-head shrugged as he climbed unsteadily to his feet, "Who cares. Let's go."

The pair of now-damp students ran out of the building, leaving Amanda alone to gather the pieces of fluff from her destroyed toy. She would have to fix Teddy when she got home. Grandma began teaching her to sew before she died. She should be able to figure out how to reattach the head. There was no reason to be overly-upset; she'd be able to take care of the problem.

Scattered belongings gathered, Amanda slipped her backpack on and started heading for the exit. It was a long walk home and she needed to get moving. As she stepped out of the front door, the girl caught sight of someone in a brown trench coat and fedora. Even odder was that, even though she only had a brief look of the individual, he looked familiar.

* * *

Unlike airheaded fairies, he preferred not contorting his body into a variety of shapes when he didn't have to. He didn't like turning himself into birds, fish, squirrels, school supplies, or sports equipment. It was possible for genies to do so, but they would rather remain in their regular forms. So, rather than disguising himself as a locker or a clock in order to look in on the kid, Norm was using a more mundane method to remain unnoticed. A trench coat had the ability to conceal most of him, including his lack of legs, and leave him looking more-or-less human.

His arrival in Shadowville was during the school day, so Norm decided to look for the kid at the local elementary school. And she was very easy to find. The weird girl was on the floor while a pair of boys menaced her, tossing her belongings around and ripping apart a toy. The kid didn't even try to stand up to the bullies. She didn't resist, didn't do anything against them. She simply took whatever treatment the boys threw at her.

Well, Norm wasn't as spineless as the girl. A quick snap of his fingers and the bullies were slipping in a puddle of water that had just appeared. It certainly wasn't because he pitied the kid or because he wanted to protect her. He didn't _really_ care about her. He just didn't particularly like bullies who wielded power over those who couldn't fight back. He'd dealt with enough of those types over the centuries and they tended to be the worst kinds of masters. They were the last people you wanted to gain three rule-free wishes. Knocking them down was simply a matter of pride for the genie.

He followed the girl home at a distance. It wasn't to protect her from further problems. He just didn't want to confront her in public and wanted to wait until she was in her room. It also gave him a little more time to decide on what he was going to ask her. Originally, he only planned to spy on the weird little girl, but now he wanted a few answers he wasn't going to gain from mere observation. She was simply too odd.

When Amanda reached the house, Norm _gonged_ himself into her room to wait. He only needed to wait for her to come in. He didn't know if her elusive parents were home or not, but from what little he knew about the adults, the genie doubted they ever came into the child's room. He should be fairly safe from unwanted observers here.

Nothing in the room had changed in his absence. The cheap furniture, old toys, and bare walls were growing rather familiar to him. His lava lamp still sat on the nightstand, undisturbed in its place of honor.

Eventually, the door opened a crack and the brunette child slid inside the room. She held her backpack in one hand and what looked like a sewing kit in the other. Her eyes widened in surprise as she caught sight of the genie, but she remained silent until she closed the door behind her.

"You're back, Norm," she remarked softly, sounding rather happy.

"And the sky is blue," stated the genie dryly. "Any other obvious facts you want to discuss?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm just happy to see you again."

The weird thing was that, if Norm was judging her tone correctly, she actually meant it. The kid _was_ happy to see him. Unless they wanted something, _no_ human was _ever_ happy to see him around. The girl was simply weird beyond all reason. He'd never given her any reason to like him since every encounter involved him insulting her. Even after his repeated verbal abuse against her intelligence, Amanda was honestly glad to have him present.

Taking a moment to give him a weak smile, the girl climbed on her bed and began to thread a needle. She pulled out the stuffed animal pieces from her backpack, lined up the head, and began to sew. He waited a few moments, observing her inexperienced-attempts to reattach the pieces, before he decided to speak.

"So what did you do to tick off the two cavemen at your school?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. They just like to pick on me. It doesn't matter. Carl and Steve didn't do much this time. I think they're getting bored with me."

"If I might make a small suggestion," Norm commented casually, "you _do_ have three magic wishes at your disposal. How about you wish for the two brainless gorillas to some hostile environment? Like _Mars_." When the genie saw her frown at the suggestion and she began opening her mouth in protest, he added, "Or, if you insist on not standing up for yourself in any possible manner, you could wish for your toy to be fixed. Even better, you could wish for a new toy to replace the ragged, old thing they broke."

" _No_ ," she stated with more force than he'd heard the young girl use before. "Grandma gave me Teddy for my birthday when I was little. I can't get rid of a present from Grandma."

"Maybe she'll get you something better. Like a doll or bike or a backbone."

The child paused with her sewing and he eyes dropped to the floor as she mumbled, "She can't. She's gone, Norm."

"Where'd she…?" he began to ask, his mind working abnormally slow for once. Then, he recognized the implication and dropped the question before he could finish. That was the trouble with mortals; they weren't around very long before either age or another cause killed them off. And that led to awkward conversations. No nearly-immortal being enjoyed talking about mortality that much. In fact, there was only one acceptable response for the situation. Uneasily, he mumbled, "Sorry. I guess you miss her?"

"Yeah. A lot," she agreed. "She moved in when I was a baby. She took care of me since Mom and Dad were busy with work."

"So your parents have always been this completely uninvolved in your life?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the dead relative.

Amanda, having resumed her sewing, refused to meet his eyes as she muttered, "They're busy people with busy lives. I'm not supposed to bother them or get in the way."

"Way to make a kid feel wanted," Norm remarked dryly.

"They don't. They didn't. When they got married, they didn't want children. So Grandma moved in to take care of me when I was born so they didn't have to," Amanda stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Now that she's gone, I have to take care of myself so I don't bother them more than I have to."

The girl acknowledged her status as an unwanted burden on her family in the same manner that you would use to comment on the weather, without a trace of sorrow or regret. No wonder nothing he said bothered her; her own _parents_ didn't want her around. If she didn't get upset over that, nothing would faze her.

He didn't even _like_ humanity, and he knew that was a cruel thing to do a child. Kids like to at least believe their mother and father cared about them, even if the adults were idiots and selfish beings. Couldn't the girl's parents at least pretend to want her around? It seemed like a rather malicious act to tell her flat out that they would rather not have her.

"Kid, if anyone deserves a couple of those airheaded, rule-bound, wand wavers…" Norm commented slowly. "What, do we need to hand you a banjo to get Jorgen's attention?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind," dismissed the genie. "I just don't get you. You have every reason to be miserable, but you aren't. You have every excuse to use magic to make things better, but you don't. And, regardless of what I said before, I don't think you're stupid. Even idiots, or _especially_ idiots, would have tried out their first wish already for something dumb. You are simply the strangest human being I've ever encountered. And I've run into plenty of them, so I know what I'm saying when I call you weird."

"How many people do you know?" asked the young girl, nearing completion on her repair work.

"I've had uncountable masters over the millennia. Male, female, young, and old. All types of humans, but they're all essentially the same. Selfish, annoying, greedy wishers who spend all three of their wishes in no time. A few hours with the morons before I'm back in the lamp."

"Not everyone is like that, Norm," she stated, setting the toy bear down. The head was now reattached to the body, if not very sturdily. The kid was clearly new to sewing, but she'd managed. "Maybe you just never got the chance to find out. If you keep getting sucked into your lava lamp, you would never get to know people very well. You never got the time."

He shrugged, "Never wanted to. I don't have any interest in making small-talk with the brain-less monkeys. Most of them are as interesting as watching paint dry. It is like dealing to a rather dull rodent. There is no challenge in outsmarting them."

"But you're talking to me," Amanda pointed out, sliding off of her bed.

"I told you: you're odd. Your weird behavior is interesting and I was bored. I figure that keeping an eye on whatever you're up to might be interesting."

"Well, not to be rude and leave, but I have to go get something to eat. Would you like something for dinner?" she asked. When he didn't respond, she finished, "I'll see you later then, Norm."

The kid slipped back out the door. The more he learned about her, the more he wanted to keep watching her. The girl was weird, she didn't follow any pattern, and she refused to be miserable even when she had every reason to be. Amanda was simply intriguing. He _wasn't_ growing attached to her or cared about her. He didn't like the child, but she made a pleasant distraction and he didn't mind staying in the area to keep an eye on the freak of nature.

Before he left her room, he gave the poorly-repaired teddy bear a last look. The kid tried her best, but the toy would obviously fall apart again rather quickly. It was already an old stuffed animal before it was ripped to pieces and the imperfect stitches wouldn't help much.

For some reason that he couldn't explain, Norm snapped his fingers. A soft _gong_ later and the teddy bear's head was properly secured to the toy. It was as if the bullies never touched it.

As an afterthought, he popped into his lava lamp and grabbed a book from his shelf. Before he headed out again, he left his copy of "1000 Wishes That Ended In Disaster" on her bed. Some of the accounts were extremely amusing and she mentioned that she liked stories. And maybe it would encourage her to make her own wish eventually. He doubted it since she wasn't following any of his predictions so far, but it was worth a try.

* * *

By the time she was done eating her sandwich, he was gone. Amanda expected him to be gone. It was a rather nice visit, but she knew the genie wouldn't stay around for long after their conversation.

But what she didn't expect to find was a small gift on her bed. The book was just sitting there, waiting for her. She smiled as she picked it up and she studied the fancy lettering on the cover. He remembered that she asked for a story. And if he remembered, then he was actually thinking about her. If he thought about her enough to recall details about their last encounter, then she began to believe that he intended to come back again.

"Thank you, Norm," she whispered softly, setting it down on her nightstand for now.

She then received her second surprise as she caught sight of Teddy. Her grin only increased as she hugged the perfectly-repaired toy close.


	4. The First Wish

He may be learning more about Amanda, but he still didn't know what to think about her. Or rather, he didn't know what to think about his reactions and behavior in regards to her. Norm understood that she was interesting, unusual, and possessed a rather depressing life, but the genie couldn't figure out (or completely admit) why those facts mattered enough to keep his attention. His previous boredom was easily kept at bay if he regularly interacted with the child. It wasn't necessary every day but adding even a short visit every couple of days kept him entertained. Even stranger, Norm was enjoying spending time around her. He liked talking with the straightforward, odd child. She made a nice hobby, even if he didn't know why he wanted such a hobby.

Not all of their conversations were inquires concerning her life in an attempt to understand his latest master. Sometimes they discussed the stories he'd been loaning her. Amanda would sit on her bed with her stuffed animal and the lava lamp resting in her lap, asking about why certain humans wished for certain things in the book. When the kid got past some of her mouse-like, wallflower, withdrawn tendencies, she could actually be fairly inquisitive and she certainly made a good audience. Eventually, after they got finished with the book, Norm found himself sharing a few tales of his own. He avoided certain events with his stories; he highly doubted she'd enjoy hearing about the unpleasant fates suffered by his past masters or his attempts at revenge against Turner. She was too nice for that. And he certainly did not want to describe how some of his dates ended up going to a _child_. But he could describe other events and the kid would listen eagerly. Amanda would react at all the right points with gasps of shock, chuckles of amusement, or soft comments of admiration. Half the fun of relating the various exploits (embellished properly when necessary) to the kid was observing the girl's reactions.

Sometimes he didn't actually meet Amanda in her room. Norm would occasionally just watch the child at a distance rather than directly interacting with her. Sort of like bird-watching or how those guys in nature documentaries would observe zebras getting eaten by lions. Outside of his company, she was just as withdrawn and quiet as the turtleneck-enshrouded kid who first rubbed the lava lamp. Amanda seemed to excel at fading into the background. It seemed to have the positive effect of keeping the bullies from noticing her as much, but it also meant that she never stood up for herself in any situation. This seemed particularly concerning when he watched her parents ignore her existence while the girl did her best to remain out of their way. Teleporting both adults to Mars seemed like such a promising idea, but Norm didn't want to deal with Amanda feeling guilty about her parents' fate, even if they deserved it.

Overall, the girl made a nice distraction to his life. He was enjoying his time being practically free with the occasional break to indulge in his new hobby. She was entertaining and intriguing, but the girl was nothing more than a rather interesting pastime. That was all she was when it came down to it, however. Norm didn't really care about Amanda beyond that of a pleasant hobby or perhaps that of a particularly amusing pet.

* * *

She was starting to get used to having him around. Every few days, the genie would show up for a little while. It might only be for a few minutes or he might stay around to discuss the latest story from the book he'd loaned her or to relate one of his own. Regardless of the length of time involved, Amanda savored every instant. Unlike every other minute of the day, she truly felt… well, she felt like how she used to feel when Grandma was still around. She felt like someone was spending time with her because they _wanted_ to rather than because they had no choice and had to put up with such an aggravation. It was kind of nice.

Sometimes at night, like now, she would hug Teddy close and stare at the purple lava lamp, wondering why Norm chose to keep visiting. He rarely tried to convince her to make a wish since he fixed the stuffed animal, so he'd apparently given up on that. Did that mean he kept coming back because… he liked her a little?

She didn't know why he would. Amanda knew that she wasn't the type of person who other people liked. She was a waste of time, money, and energy to deal with. No one had any reason to like her or even notice her. Some people were just not meant to be anything more than a distracting annoyance in the background and she was such a person. She was simply not anyone special enough to have friends of any kind.

Friends. Was this what having a friend was like, having someone around that made you feel wanted? Was Norm her friend? She had done nothing to deserve such a luxury, but a part of her hoped that the genie might qualify. It would be nice to have a friend. It was what she wanted more than anything, even if she knew how unlike it seemed.

Amanda pulled the blanket tighter around her and closed her eyes. Maybe, even if Norm didn't want to be her friend, she could be _his_ friend. She certainly liked him and she enjoyed spending time with him. She didn't deserve the genie's friendship, but she was willing to offer such a thing to him.

Satisfied with her decision concerning Norm, the girl smiled slightly and relaxed. She could already feel herself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Very few pizzeria were able to deliver to any location, regardless of how remote, isolated, or strange. There were even fewer that were happy about delivering to genies, though anti-fairies supposedly had even more trouble with that. Narrowing the list down further to take into account problems such as late deliveries, soggy and cold pizza, getting the order wrong, or employees deciding to be spiteful by leaving the box outside the lamp when Norm was stuck between masters, and he was left with only one real option.

Papa Jingles' Pizza was a brownie-owned franchise that were willing to deliver to anyone who wasn't completely and undeniably evil. They'd even deliver to a few of the less malicious anti-fairies. Norm had to admit the butterfly-winged beings were at least less critical and annoying than fairies, which meant he liked brownies a little more than the wand-waving morons. And brownies made _really_ good pizza.

Today, after spending the day in Canada turning the maple leaf on their flag into a child's drawing of a turkey and seeing how long it would take the Canadians to notice, Norm picked up one of their pizzas. However, he'd altered his usual order this time. The genie currently held an extra large pizza with pepperoni on one half and plain cheese on the other. It had been a spur of the moment decision, a mere whim of his that he'd decided to indulge in.

Norm _gonged_ into Amanda's room, the delicious smell of food announcing his presence to the child as effectively as the sound. She'd been playing with her old stuffed teddy bear, but she swiftly slid off her bed and walked over to him.

"Hi, Norm," greeted the girl, looking at the box curiously. "Did you bring pizza?"

"No, I ordered a bucket of fried chicken. Extra flat," he answered dryly. "Of course it's a pizza. I was hungry, so I figured I'd multitask by bringing it with me." Then, almost as if he'd just had the idea at that moment, the genie offered, "You want a slice, kid? There's too much for just me."

Amanda looked stunned and ecstatic by his suggestion, taking several seconds to even manage a nod. Norm _gonged_ up a couple of plates and left the pizza box floating at a convenient height. He didn't want the kid to start getting the wrong idea and think this sort of thing would become a regular occurrence, yet he thought it would be a nice way to enjoy his food without having to wait until after the visit and it would be rude not to share. He'd even shared pizza with Turner when he teleported Crocker to Mars and he _hated_ the bucked-toothed kid.

The girl, hesitating as she glanced at the two toppings, finally selected a piece of cheese pizza and began eating it enthusiastically. Norm didn't know if she was simply happy to have a meal she didn't have to cook or if she just really liked the pizza. Papa Jingles had good food, but Amanda looked way too excited.

"I'm guessing you might like pizza a little," he remarked, taking a bite of his own slice.

She nodded, "It's really good. Where'd you get it? I don't remember ever seeing the name 'Papa Jingles' before. Is it new?"

"It's just a little brownie-run pizzeria I know of," he explained. "They make pretty good food."

"'Brownie'? Like the food?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"No, not the food. Little guys with butterfly wings. Make great pizza. They also make terrific house-cleaning services," described Norm. After a moment, he asked, "What? Did you think that genie were the only magical beings running around?"

Amanda shrugged, "I don't know. I never thought about it."

"Well, we're not. Humans are nowhere near the only _supposedly_ intelligent species in the cosmos and genies are nowhere near the only magic users out there," he explained. "Even if we're the best at it."

Her attention thoroughly captured, the girl stared at him eagerly. He recognized the expression by this point. She was wearing her "story-listening" look. She was ready to hear about the various magical entities, excited to learn anything he might offer about this topic.

"All right," he sighed, realizing he was about to give her a full description of the magical creatures he could provide.

His knowledge wasn't perfect about some species due to how little contact he'd had with them, but he could give the child the basics. His experiences at Fairy Idol were giving him at least a little bit of knowledge of the creatures.

"Let's see. I've already mentioned brownies and you know about genies obviously… There are pixies, which are these weird, monotone, emotionless, corporate drones with pointy heads, small square wings, and oddly-effective rapping skills. Lawn gnomes also have pointy heads, can rap, and dress like tacky ceramic ornaments. And they _hate_ being called pixies. And they don't have wings. Elves have pointy ears, have an obsession with cookies, and either bake treats in a tree or make toys while working for a fat guy who only works one night a year." He counted off each example on his fingers as he proceeded. "You have the leprechauns, who have the whole pot of gold and way too much green thing going for them. Then you have wand-waving, kid-loving, shape-shifting, wish-granting fairies and their bad-luck-inducing, evil counterparts, the anti-fairies. There's even the occasional witch or warlock that pops up, but those aren't really a magical species. They're just extraordinarily freaky humans who tend to either destroy themselves either by using magic stupidly, getting enough normal people mad enough to hunt them down, or simply get crushed by falling houses or melted or stuck somewhere."

Amanda's eyes widened with each named creature. The girl even seemed to forget about the slice of pizza in her hand. When he listed them off like this, it _did_ sound rather impressive how many magical species there were.

As he paused, trying to recall some of the more obscure ones, she interrupted, "'Fairies'? You said… they grant wishes. Like you do?"

Norm rolled his eyes, "No. I am _nothing_ like those idiots. They're lucky to get through the day without doing something stupid with their magic."

"Okay," the girl remarked slowly, taking bite of her pizza. Then, she continued, "How else are genies and fairies different? Especially if they both grant wishes."

"Well, the first real difference is their ideas on fashion. Floating crowns can't compare to a fez. And fairies have those wings attached to their back," he grumbled, recalling Jorgen and his stapler. "They live in a place with the _original_ and _clever_ name of Fairy World, which seems to be composed of clouds, rainbows, and sickeningly cheerful colors." He shook his head, "It is kind of like a five year old girl designed the place. But the biggest difference would be their standard operating procedure."

Snapping up his fingers, Norm _gonged_ up the copy of "Da Rules" he'd gained from the green-haired idiot. The book had been sitting on a shelf in his lamp for a while, even after the events surrounding Fairy Idol. It would be ideal for demonstrating his point.

"As I've already explained to you, genies grant three rule-free wishes to whoever rubs the lamp," he reminded. "Fairies don't have a limit on the number of wishes, don't have a lamp, and don't have a clue about how to enjoy such a thing. The real job that the annoying wand-wavers seem to want is to be a fairy godparent for some human kid."

"A fairy godparent?" Amanda inquired. "Are they kind of like… an extra parent with magic."

"Yep," he nodded. "And they only grant wishes for their godchild, who is picked because they're the most miserable kid on the planet and they need one of those floating magical morons to be around to keep him happy. As long as it follows any of the many rules in here," he waved the book to demonstrate, "they can grant the child's wish. But the rules for them make it rather pointless."

He began flipping through the pages, glancing at the various limitations the book described. Amusingly, there were footnotes at the bottom that identified the cause of specific rules to be put in place. Most readers probably ignored or didn't even notice, but some of the explanations were worth a chuckle. Most were rather old and had been devised very early in the history of fairy godparents. The more recent additions tended to be attributed simply to be caused by "Timothy T. Turner." That didn't surprise the genie in the slightest after skimming through the boy's file. The bucked-tooth menace just couldn't avoid stupid and impulsive wishes.

"Stuff you can't wish for with fairies includes just about anything someone normally would ask for. The godchild can't wish to directly kill, maim, or injure living things, though _indirectly_ works fine. They can't use magic to win a contest, wish for money through counterfeiting or stealing, or to wish for breakfast after 10:30 a.m.," he listed, raising an eyebrow at the inanity last one. "No messing with love; that's Cupid's job. Teeth-related wishes go through the Toothfairy and sleep-related wishes need to be approved by the Sandman." He flipped back a couple of pages, continuing to recite, "No wishing everyday to be Christmas. No wishing for a world without girls. No wishing someone back to life. I guess they had too many problems with zombies." He flipped a couple of pages, shaking his head at some of the odder ones, "Vocal wishes must be made in the voice of the god-kid. Cloning wishes can only be canceled when all clones are present. A god-kid can only loan their fairy godparent to a child who is twice as miserable as them. A godchild can't wish away another kid's fairy, but there are ways to get rid of them through a duel."

"They can be separated? The fairy and god-kid?" Amanda asked, sounding both overwhelmed by the variety of rules and startled by the implications of the last one.

The genie gave a short laugh, "That's kind of an understatement, kiddo. Part of the reason it's a good thing that fairies do so much shape-shifting is because the whole 'fairy godparent' thing is supposed to be one big secret. And breaking them up in a painful manner seems to be the entire point of the arrangement. The entire situation is designed to be the cruelest trick ever. They take this miserable kid with a really crummy life, maybe with some bullying or absent parents to make certain he's practically alone. Then, they give him an annoyingly-cheerful magical being whose entire purpose is to be a floating provider of wishes and semi-parental affection to fill in the void in the kid's life. On the surface, it sounds like a way to spread happiness and joy to the world, causing nauseatingly cute displays of family-like affection between the kid and fairy. What could be better for some bitter and depressed child than magical wishes to improve their life and some airhead to act like a best friend or nagging mother or goofy dad or whatever? But they've made it impossible to maintain such a stupidly optimistic state due to the fact that the entire relationship will end with a giant reset button."

Norm laughed at the irony. Even if fairies were supposed to be these nurturing and fun companions for humanity's depressed youth and genies were infamous for the damage their wishes could cause, it seemed like the wand-wavers could cause much worse pain at the end of the day. Humans tended to be happy when Norm and them parted ways; the fairies and godchildren were almost always sad by the separation. At least, that's how things went until memories were erased. He flipped back several pages to the relevant rules.

"The kids can't tell anyone they have fairy godparents. _Ever_. Another child with fairies can find out without anything bad happening, but the consequences are fairly steep otherwise," he elaborated. "If, at any point, the kid tells someone or reveals their fairy's existence to another human being, the fairy is taken away. Even if another human finds out by accident and it isn't the kid or the fairy's fault, that's what happens. In fact, any sign of the fairy godparent is removed. The kid loses any of his wishes and then the kid and any bystanders lose even the memories. Really, the child is left in exactly the same miserable state they were in before without even being allowed remember his past happiness or the substitute parent-figure. If the child gets too happy with his life, he also gets this fate. And, even if the kid manages to keep his fairy a secret for years and not lose them due to any number of possible ways, they'll eventually grow up. After they're grown up, the wishes are undone and the memories are taken from them. No matter what happens, the godchild ends up alone, unable to remember his fairy, and only able to recall non-magical aspects of his childhood. Which means, considering they are supposed to be miserable in order to receive a fairy godparent, they will mostly have depressing memories. Basically, the entire set-up is one cruel joke."

As he finished the slight rant, Norm realized that he might have been a little blunt considering his audience was a young child who could have (and should have) been one of those kids who receive fairy godparents. He was probably even exaggerating things a little bit. But it was so annoying to have morons like Jorgen referring to him as a "filthy genie" and acting as if they were so much better and more benevolent when they could end up causing just as much pain. At least he didn't behave as if he was trying to help anyone else with his actions. He even flat out told most masters after the first wish backfired that he planned to do the same thing for the rest of their requests. He never claimed to be a nice guy; he even had an evil laugh he'd been working on over the millennia. But the fairies, who seemed to think they were _so_ perfect compared to other magical species, could be equally as cruel without meaning to or even admitting it and that obliviousness to obvious facts just aggravated the genie.

After several moments of silence, Amanda quietly commented, "That… doesn't seem fair. I mean… they can take away their fairy godparent and make them forget? Even if they accidentally tell their secret or they grow up?"

"Or if some random person saw their fairy and figured out they're the kid's godparent," he reminded. "But, as _shocking_ as it might be to learn this, the world isn't fair. In fact, it is the opposite of fair."

"So if _I_ accidentally saw someone's fairy godparent, they'd be separated and it would be completely my fault," she stated horrified. "I don't want to do that. I don't want to make someone miserable, Norm."

He shrugged, "Maybe you'll get lucky and never bump into a kid with fairies. What is the likelihood that you'll meet someone like that? Of course, you won't know they have fairy godparents until it's too late and you completely ruin their life, but that's not your fault. Being able to keep a secret, no matter the circumstances, is one of the main skill requirements to be a god-kid and if they can't manage it, then it is better to lose their fairy because of you than because of a crazy fairy-hunting teacher."

"But I don't want to do that to someone," the brunette child remarked. "I can't hurt someone like that, even by accident. I'm already an unwanted nuisance and more trouble than I'm worth, but I don't want to also take away someone's friend or family."

He really wished she'd stop repeating stuff her parents told her. If he had to listen to those two idiots continue to fill her head with comments about how little they wanted her or how little she mattered, he intended to turn the adults into a couple of snow globes. The kid was too unselfish and had zero self-esteem, but she wouldn't even be miserable enough for some reason to qualify for the admittedly-limited help of a fairy godparent.

"I can't let that happen, even if there's only a small chance that it could," declared Amanda firmly. She set down her plate, the pizza slice completely eaten by this point, and walked over to the nightstand. "I wouldn't want someone make you go away forever like that. Especially if I couldn't even get to remember. It just isn't right. Other people deserve to be happy and to have friends without someone like me messing everything up." The child picked up the purple lave lamp and closed her eyes, "Norm, I wish that any godchild and any fairy godparent I ever meet will not be separated because of me learning their secret in the same manner that they won't get in trouble if another godchild figured it out. Please?"

Norm barely kept his jaw from dropping. He ran a quick calculation through his head. It had taken just a little less than two and a half months for Amanda to make her first wish. He'd almost given up any hope that she would ask. But the girl finally made a wish and any genie would pounce on the opportunity to start twisting the wish.

There were, however, two factors that made him hesitate on that normal reaction to wishing. First was how specific her request was. Vague wishes were easier to mess up, but any decent genie could figure out a way to deal with wishes made by anyone below a lawyer in competence. If he really tried, he could find a loophole. But it would be a lot more work than he preferred.

The second factor was the fact that he didn't really feel like doing something like that to the kid. It took her this long to actually make a wish and she didn't even ask for anything for herself. She wanted to protect others from being miserable because of her. The same stupid emotions (that he _refused_ to identify) that he first felt when he began to learn about her parent's opinion of their child and when it became clear that she honestly enjoyed his company refused to let him examine the request for a loophole. That collection of rebellious, squirmy feelings only got more difficult with the comment about not wanting him to go away forever. Given that the alternative was dealing with a mutiny of emotions and twisting a wish that he couldn't seem to be motivated to ruin, Norm felt it was easier to take the simpler way out and grant it.

Briefly, the idea that he could have used Amanda to make Turner lose his godparents by "accidentally" allowing her to see them if she hadn't made this wish crossed his mind. He immediately rejected it. For similar reason to why he wouldn't mess up the girl's wish, he couldn't involve her in his revenge. It was a personal matter between him and the bucked-tooth boy. He wouldn't be happy if she became tangled in things and found out he used her in a revenge-plot, so he would avoid that idea completely.

"One wish," he commented finally, "coming right up."

He snapped his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked up some of the rules they've mentioned at various points on the show, but I didn't list all of them. But I included some of them. And "Papa Jingles" pizza is my magical version of "Papa Johns" pizza. After all, who else would deliver pizza to a genie's lava lamp? And. if you've watched some of the new episodes of the show, there was this triangular little butterfly-winged girl at Poof's school and they never identify her species. She can't be a fairy since Poof is the only one born in about 10,000 years. So, I decided to declare she's a brownie. They're another little magical people who are famous for cleaning houses at night if someone leaves them out a gift, like bread and honey. And now, apparently, they make pizza (at least in this story, they do).


	5. Surprising Developments

Nothing really flashy or impressive happened when Norm snapped his fingers, but she didn't expect much. There was a _gong_ sound and that was it.

"There," he stated. "You are now fairy-banishing proof. And you'll probably give Jorgen a headache whenever he finds out about this." He paused a moment, a smile forming, "Actually, that might be worth it."

"Who's Jorgen?" Amanda asked, growing concerned her wish might cause some trouble.

"A muscle-bound idiot," he answered simply. "Most fairies are around the size of a human kid. He's taller than the average adult human and built like a brick wall. He's called the 'toughest fairy in the universe' and all the oxygen is apparently going to his muscles instead of his head. Jorgen Von Strangle: all brawn, no brains." He gestured at the purple book in his hand again, "His main job seems to be enforcing Da Rules and dealing with major threats. And he's apparently the one in charge of separating fairies and god-kids when needed."

Hesitantly, the girl asked, "Would he be mad? Because of my wish?"

The genie shrugged, "Probably a little, but he can't do anything about it. Just because he runs around intimidating kids into following this book and acting like a super body-builder doesn't mean that he get to interfere with me. Fairies do _not_ have the monopoly on magic, even if they act like it." He paused a moment to snap his fingers, sending the book back with a _gong_. "Besides, he'd be more upset with me than he would be at you, kid."

"I don't want him to be mad at you," protested the child, feeling a little anxious by the idea. "I don't want you to get in trouble. It isn't your fault. I'm sorry."

"Hey, calm down," Norm urged, looking oddly uncomfortable by her reaction. "Jar-head would get mad at me regardless. Fairies have a bit of a superiority complex. They really don't like genies, so this is just an excuse for them to be angry. Even if you didn't wish for something that messed with their precious rules, no fairy would be happy to see me."

Amanda sat on the edge of her bed, holding onto the lava lamp. She rather liked the purple squishy object. Just like her teddy bear, it was an item that she easily associated with someone important. Even when Norm was gone, the lava lamp remained to remind her that the magical being would return.

"Well, _I'm_ happy to see you," she mumbled. In a louder voice, she asked, "Why wouldn't they like genies?"

This time, he didn't immediately answer. He slid the sunglasses further up his face, concealing his eyes. Then, he _gonged_ away the remainder of the pizza, the box, and the dishes. Finally, her room clean and in exactly the same state as it was when he arrived, he began to address her question.

"Part of the reason might be the whole 'rules versus rule-free' wishing thing. Neither group will admit that their set-up might not be the best with that aspect, even though genies clearly are more versatile and talented since we don't have that many limitations. Part of it is probably the whole 'fairies are superior' mindset of the air-headed dorks," he suggested carefully. His next words seemed oddly hesitant, "But at least part of the mistrust might be due to some of the… less than flattering stories about our general behavior. And not all of them are 'just stories'."

Amanda opened her mouth, about to inquire further about those stories of genies that would make someone dislike them, but Norm was already snapping his fingers. A familiar _gong_ later and he was gone. She wasn't too concerned by the abruptness of his departure; he had a habit of disappearing without anything resembling a proper 'good-bye,' just as he would appear without warning. What she was worried about was whether or not she'd done something wrong.

The girl could tell from his earlier rant against the entire fairy godparent arrangement and the various insults he devised for them that Norm really didn't like fairies for some reason. And, from what else he'd told her, fairies didn't really like genies either. Did that mean her wish to protect fairies from being forced to leave kids would be a bad thing? Was Norm mad about it and just not telling her? Or, if he wasn't, how much trouble would he be in? He said the fairies would be mad at him regardless of what he did simply because he was a genie, but she still didn't want him to be in trouble because of her wish. He said that he didn't have to follow all the rules fairies did. So, did that mean they couldn't do anything to Norm since they weren't _his_ rules? Amanda just wanted to help the other kids and keep them from losing their magical friends due to her actions, even if the genie didn't like the species. All these conflicting thoughts of what could go wrong kept swirling around in her head, making her second guess her wish.

She hugged the lava lamp close and glanced at Teddy, mumbling, "I hope it'll be all right. I don't want to cause trouble."

* * *

At the moment, Norm didn't know whether to be mad at himself or the weird little girl who refused to follow anything that he knew about the species and kept dragging up feelings that strongly resembled emotions that he didn't want to properly identify. First it was something that resembled sympathy, then she caused the occasional moment that could almost be considered protectiveness for the odd child that he'd made a hobby of, and he even felt amusement and enjoyment from her company with his usual distain for humanity being practically undetectable. He could ignore those emotions for the most part because he knew that he didn't _really_ like her and those feelings weren't _really_ what they looked like. But now, Amanda managed to make him feel guilty and Norm hated the idea. He hated the idea that some idiotic human could do that to him without even trying. And he hated that he let her.

Her first wish wasn't a selfish one in any possible way, as far as the genie could determine, and she still managed to think she'd done something bad. The child began worrying about getting Norm in trouble. She originally just asked if it would cause trouble, but she didn't truly get upset until the genie mentioned he'd be more likely to have the fairies' scorn. It was a little disconcerting to have the kid worrying so much about him; he could barely handle the idea of her enjoying his company initially and now he was witnessing the uncomfortable degree that she felt attached to magical creature's presence. No one worried about or liked the genie. That concern for his well-being, followed swiftly by the inquiries about the mistrust and hatred directed towards his species, left him feeling guilty. The knowledge that genies were infamous for their ability to twist wishes into something horrible to ruin other people's lives and that, if circumstances were different, he would have done the exact same thing to the innocent little girl who currently didn't understand why someone might hate him... that knowledged weighed rather heavily on his mind.

She could never know. That much was clear to Norm. Even if all his ranting failed to make her hate fairies apparently, he couldn't let Amanda know how most master-genie relationships end up going. He couldn't let her learn that he originally intended to ruin her life with her wishes, just as he did with everyone who gained his lamp. For some reason, he didn't want the kid to look at him with the same mistrust and loathing that everyone else did. Norm wanted Amanda to remain happy to see him and the only way to ensure that would be to prevent the girl from ever finding out what a genie would normally do.

For the first time in 50,000 years, he didn't feel particularly proud of his species. In fact, considering the type of things they would do to the lonely child with no self-esteem while laughing at the results, he couldn't help feeling relieved that she ended up with him instead. Even more importantly, he was thankful that she refused to make a wish until after he began to know her well enough to recognize how unique she was. If a genie had treated her like any other master, by essentially acting like she barely deserved to exist and definitely didn't deserve be allowed access to magic, she might have actually broke when that was added to the burdens of her life. And he wouldn't wish that type of emotional agony on his worst enemy (well, maybe Turner, but he deserved some revenge). He might be a jerk genie, but even his species _should_ have limits on how much torture a human master should be expected to suffer. And Amanda had experienced enough problems already.

* * *

"Mr. Adams, please come in," urged the man in the white suit and cowboy hat. "I'm so happy to see you. Thank you for coming in like this. I'm Doug Dimmadome."

"Doug Dimmadome?"

"That's right, Doug Dimmadome. Owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome," he responded. "And, thanks to the new merger with your old company, your boss. Now, why don't we get down to business."

"Of course," Mr. Adam nodded, taking his seat.

The pair of businessmen was in a small meeting room, empty of any other occupants. Most of the employees the old company were still a little uncomfortable with the situation. Calling the event a "merger" might be a bit of an exaggeration. The rich, white-mustached individual essentially bought out the whole company and was reformatting it work better with his personal business. Only one person was taking steps to both support Doug Dimmadome's alterations and insert himself into an indispensible role within the new hierarchy. He knew that a new boss meant new opportunities to make a great impression and climb the social ladder. Thus, it was no surprise that Mr. Adams had caught the man's attention enough for a private meeting.

"This particular branch of my company is, let's face it, a waste of your talents," Dimmadome explained. "I've been watching you and I've even examined your records prior to the merger. You are one of the most successful and efficient employees, able to make amazing business connections with little effort, and I would like to put you in charge of one of my more profitable ventures." He slid a stack of papers across the table. "Of course, this will involve a significant increase in salary.

The brunette man stroked his mustache as he studied the paperwork. A higher paying and more important job? Why would he _not_ take the offer? Was there a catch of some kind?

"The only real issue is the necessity of relocating to a new town," remarked Dimmadome, almost as if he was reading his mind. "You'll have some time before that is necessary, but I can understand that such a commitment can be difficult decision for a man with a family. Family always comes first."

With that particular statement, the white-suited man pulled out his wallet. He opened it to reveal a small photograph to Mr. Adams. The image displayed a filthy, red-haired youth holding a lemon that smiled with only one visible tooth. Apparently his new boss was a parent.

Mr. Adams understood the concept of turning the different variables to his greatest advantage. If his employer had a strong positive reaction to children, then acting like he was similarly enthusiastic would make the rich individual like him more. Playing on his emotions would only increase the possibility of Dimmadome approving of him. He might as well make use of his daughter's existence.

"Yes, nothing is more important than my kid," he lied. "And I want what is best for my family. My wife should be able to locate a new job in a different town, but we'll need to have a bonus to ensure that my child is taken care of until she finds a new job. Especially if we have to move."

"That can be arranged," Dimmadome nodded. "I take it we have a deal?"

"Of course," he replied.

The rich individual smiled, "Glad to hear it. I suggest you begin checking out some real estate in Dimmsdale. I expect to see you there in less than two months."

* * *

Her parents were ignoring her more than usual. Amanda didn't think it was possible, but they had become even busier. Her mother was disappearing for a few days at a time, returning with lists covered in large numbers and comments like two bathrooms, an extra office, high-vaulted ceilings, and hardwood floors. She also carried some business cards with the lists; a few of them paper clipped to specific sheets of paper. And her father looked even happier than she ever remembered him being.

Of course, she didn't know what was causing all the excitement. They never told her anything important, but Amanda understood why. Both of them were busy people with busy lives and explaining things to their daughter would be a waste of their valuable time. As long as she didn't do anything to get in the way, they wouldn't worry about whether or not she understood what was occurring.

The girl crept out of the kitchen, peanut butter sandwiches in her hands, and headed for her room. The latest odd event was a large number of phone calls that both of her parents were involved in. The calls didn't seem like their usual conversations related to work. There was something different about the tone she used and Amanda didn't remember any of the names.

As she slipped past the living room, she heard her mother speaking into the phone, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Turner. My husband and I will drive down to sign the final paperwork tomorrow. We're very happy with the house."

The girl felt momentarily curious about what her parent was talking about, but didn't speak a word. Norm would answer questions; her mother and father didn't. Asking them about the phone call wouldn't do anything except annoy the adults. And she didn't want to do that.

Amanda finally reached her room and pulled the door open a crack. Norm was floating above the chess set, his attention on the weird magazine that he insisted that he didn't have and always disappeared from sight when she showed up. Just as she expected, he snapped his fingers and the magazine vanished with a _gong_. Peering over his shades at her, the genie grinned and pointed at the board.

"Your turn, kid," he stated.

She smiled and handed him one of the sandwiches. Ever since he bought pizza that one night, he'd gradually started bringing food more often when he visited. Then, she'd made him some macaroni and cheese one evening when he didn't bring take-out. Now they alternated on who provided the meal. It was quickly becoming her favorite time of the day.

Norm was also beginning to teach her chess. While he'd acted a little uncomfortable for a short time after the first wish, he'd shown up one evening with a chess board and a smug expression on his face. He'd claimed it was a game for smart people and, since she was "definitely smarter than the average member of the human species, let alone most of the idiots who found the lamp" and he "didn't feel like getting bored whenever they were together," she should learn how to play. It was kind of hard, far harder than the board games she used to play with Grandma. All the pieces moved in different ways and she originally kept forgetting which one moved which way. She hadn't won a game yet, but Norm said she was getting better. He even claimed that, maybe in a few decades, she might even beat him.

"Got to admit," he remarked as she slid a pawn forward. "You make a good sandwich." He took a bite and then captured her knight. "I'm not saying that many people can actually mess up a sandwich, but it is sort of nice not to be making a giant one of them with magic for an idiot."

"Thank you," she smiled, studying the board. "I'm glad you like it."

As she moved her bishop over to take one of his pawns, the genie asked, "So, your family's been home a lot lately. Any reason?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Something is happening, but they don't tell me anything."

"Well, keep your ears open. If your parents decide to start hanging around more, I'd like some warning. Especially if they start popping into your room randomly."

"Okay, but I don't think they'll come in here. They haven't since Grandma was around," the girl remarked. After a moment of consideration as he captured another of her pawns, she asked, "Nothing bad would happen to you if someone _did_ see you, right?"

"You mean like what would happen to a fairy godparent? No, nothing like that would happen," Norm answered quickly. As she shifted her king to a safer location, he continued, "But having too many people knowing about me tends to cause problems. It always ends up with greedy, brain-dead humans scrambling for my lava lamp and more mass chaos than you can imagine. Honestly, it is in everyone's best interest if humanity as a whole stay in their natural ignorant state in regards to magic. The fewer the people who know I'm around, the better."

"But what if they do see you? What should I do?" Amanda inquired, taking a bite of her sandwich.

The genie grinned, "Just keep the lava lamp out of their grip. They can't make me do anything unless they're able to pass around the lava lamp among the population. I have to grant the wishes of whoever rubs the lamp, but as long as they _don't_ have it, all people can do is annoy me. I could show up on the evening news and give interviews if I wanted, but they would be completely unable to make me grant their wishes if they don't have the lamp." He paused momentarily, sliding his queen to capture her rook. "So, if you keep the lava lamp safe, I'm safe. No matter what happens, nothing can happen if the lamp isn't involved. Got it?"

She nodded. No one would get his lava lamp unless Norm said it was okay. She could do that for him. Amanda didn't want the genie to get stuck in a weird game of tug-o-war because everyone wanted wishes.

"And, in case you haven't noticed, checkmate," he remarked smugly, pointing at the board.

* * *

All things considered, Norm couldn't be happier with his life. He was free, for all intents and purposes. Even better, he didn't end up with obligatory power reduction that he'd suffer if he was _actually_ free. He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He'd picked up a rather amusing hobby to spend his excess time with and he was making her even more interesting by teaching the girl chess. He'd caused multiple problems for Canada, the latest one involving the conversion of all Canadian bacon into a soy substitute. He was… _comfortable_. He was quickly getting used to his situation and the odd little girl who made his new lifestyle possible was becoming rather nice to have around. And, as long as he didn't examine his feelings concerning his young master too closely and avoided tricky conversations concerning his species, there was no real downside to the situation.

Immediately after her first wish and her accidental guilt-causing, he'd been a little concerned that Amanda would try asking about genie and fairy relations again. It didn't take long after that for Norm to place the entire incident, especially the fact she could make him feel bad and the questions about how attached to the girl he would have to be in order to cause that type of response from him, out of his mind. If he didn't think about his feelings concerning the child and how she would respond to the truth about genies, he could easily pretend it wasn't an issue. He'd moved on to more enjoyable pursuits, like crafting her into a reasonable chess player.

The kid enjoyed games but apparently had few individuals to play with. Specifically, Norm was her only option. And if the genie was going to play board games with a child, it at least should be a more complex game than individuals her age typically played. Because her grandmother had started teaching her checkers, he decided to introduce her to chess. Considering the fact her opponent was several thousand years old, Amanda wasn't doing half-bad.

The genie yawned tiredly and decided to get up finally. For months, he avoided returning to his lamp and slept in a number of hotel rooms, inns, and the residences of particularly-friendly female genies instead. Spending long periods of time in a lava lamp against his will tended to encourage a person to enjoy his time outside of that space. But even a freedom-seeking magical creature eventually begins to miss their own bed. So, recently Norm had begun sleeping in his lamp again on the nights when he didn't have other plans. It wasn't like he was going to be stuck inside anytime soon considering how reluctant Amanda was to make wishes.

Snapping his fingers, he switched into his usual outfit and popped out of the lamp. It was Saturday, so he knew that Amanda would be home all day. He also knew that, normally, her parents would be gone and she'd be cleaning the house in their absence. She claimed that it was the least she could do for her busy parents, but Norm saw it as exploitation of a child that they essentially treated as an unwanted burden and he felt that the "teleport to Mars" option sounded more and more promising. But, considering the random schedule the adults had recently adopted, there was a possibility that they could be home currently. Thus, he was a little wary of searching the household for the girl and was debating whether or not to head out for a day at the beach instead.

A few strange voices began to filter in from the main part of the house, giving the genie further proof that caution was needed. It was certainly odd that the Adams family had guests over, but anything was possible. Especially since he didn't know the adults as thoroughly as he knew the daughter and they had been breaking out of their normal pattern lately. He couldn't hear the words of the conversation, the voices muffled due to the walls separating him from the source, but he could tell that the speakers were male and definitely unfamiliar. A second later, there was a loud thump and the voice of Amanda's mother shouted something.

Before the genie could contemplate the situation further, the door to the room opened a crack. He prepared himself to disappear from sight, but a quick look proved the arrival was the brunette child carrying a large cardboard box. She set the container down before giving him a smaller-than-usual smile.

"Good morning, Norm," she greeted. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little busy today."

"What's going on, kid? Your parents kicking you out of the house and making you live in a box?" he asked, only half joking.

"No, we're moving," she responded, pulling open a dresser drawer and grabbing a handful of clothes inside.

Whatever he might have been expecting in that situation, that wasn't it. The genie grabbed his shades and pulled them off to stare at her properly. The child continued to move her entire wardrobe into the box. It didn't take very long and the box was nowhere near full by the time she finished with her clothes.

"Wait, back up. I think I missed a news update somewhere. When did this happen? Did your parents just wake up this morning and think 'You know what? I'm bored with that wall color. Let's move'?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. The moving men showed up downstairs and started putting things into boxes and carrying them out to a truck, so I asked Dad about what was happening. He told me that he had a new job in a new town, so we're moving into the new house they bought. Then he told me to stop wasting his time and pack."

"So, it sounds like they've been planning to move for a while," Norm commented slowly. "But they wait to tell you anything about moving until right now, when you're _literally_ in the process of leaving?"

The girl nodded, apparently unsurprised by her family's decision. For her, this type of action was to be expected from parents who prefer to pretend she didn't exist. For him, it was further proof that humanity in general (with one specific exception) was composed of selfish jerks and Amanda was too nice for her own good.

"Do you know where you're moving?" he asked finally.

She shook her head, "No, Dad didn't say and I didn't ask because I was already bothering him too much."

He should have expected that. Of course they wouldn't tell her where they're going. If they didn't tell her they were moving in the first place, why would they tell her where they were heading? It wasn't like they cared about how their decisions affected her life. The only good thing about the child's withdrawn nature meant that she probably wouldn't be losing many friends with the move.

"Okay, here's what I'm going to do then," explained the genie carefully. "I'm going to get out of here before someone wanders in here. If you need me, rub the lava lamp. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow after you're moved in and the chaos dies down."

"How will you find me, though?"

He assured, "I can always find the lamp, kid. Part of the whole 'genie' deal. We're sort of attached to the things. _Really_ attached." He gave her an encouraging grin, "You'll be okay until then?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"All right, kid," Norm remarked quietly. Glancing at the meager collection of belongings in the room, he snapped his fingers. A quiet _gong_ rang out and the box was filled. The furniture and a few items that didn't fit still remained, but she no longer had much to pack. It was the least he could do considering the conversation had distracted her from the chore. "See you later."

Another snap and he was headed for a tropical climate for the day.


	6. Dimmsdale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Dimmsdale: a town populated by kids, fairies, a disguised alien, an evil babysitter, a mayor who spends way too much time with a goat, a short anchorman, a crazy teacher, and loads of gullible idiots. I'm sure that our new arrivals will fit right in.

Most of the items in her room were now stored in a single cardboard box. Her clothes, bedding, her small collection of toys and games, and the handful of articles from the top of her dresser were neatly tucked away, the photograph of her grandmother on top. Seeing all of her belongings missing from her room was so strange, but not quite as surreal as the rest of the house being emptied of all objects. Amanda's personal space in the household never held as much, so the change seemed less drastic.

Still, she wasn't quite finished yet. Norm might have helped, but not everything was in the box. She picked up her backpack and moved her school supplies around to make room. A space now hallowed between a few scraps of paper and pencils, she slid Teddy inside. With her toy safely stowed, the girl smiled.

The next important item would be Norm's lava lamp. She needed to make sure that no one bothered it. Preferably, she needed to keep them from even touching the lamp. If they accidentally rubbed it, then the genie would come and grant their wishes. Mom and Dad _might_ be okay, but she didn't know the moving men. And Norm told her to keep anyone from messing with his lava lamp, so she planned to do that to the best of her ability. If no one could touch or even see the lamp, then it would be safe.

Her efforts, however, were quickly halted by the limitations of her backpack. There was simply not enough space. Between her school supplies and Teddy, it couldn't fit inside. In theory, she could use another box to put the lava lamp inside, but she wouldn't be able to watch it as closely that way. What if someone dropped the box? She didn't know how fragile the lava lamp was and didn't want to test it.

The child glanced between the stuffed backpack and the lava lamp, trying to decide what was more important and what the best arrangement would be. Slowly, the girl pulled Teddy out and slipped the squishy lamp in its place. She could hold the gift from her grandmother in her arms if necessary. Norm's lamp needed to be kept safe.

Pulling the backpack on, Amanda was once again surprised by how light the lava lamp felt. She could carry the weight quite easily. In fact, she felt confident she could carry the loaded backpack around without any problem for quite a reasonable amount of time. A smart and sensible way to keep the lava lamp safely out of other people's reach and it served as a convenient manner to transport the item. An idea began to creep around the back of her mind, but she was distracted as the door opened.

One of the moving men, a large and burly individual, came in, quickly followed by her mother. Her parent seemed to be instructing him to start carrying the sparse furniture to the truck. Amanda wasn't really listening. The child tugged the neck of her turtleneck up higher, grabbed Teddy, and she scurried out of the room.

* * *

The day at the beach was nowhere near as nice for him as it should have been. He was too distracted by the news of Amanda's abrupt relocation. It wasn't like he would be greatly affected by a slight change of scenery, but the kid might be. She was still shy and withdrawn around most people and relocating would not likely help her develop a backbone or confidence. The fact she didn't seem to have any friends meant she'd probably not be too heartbroken about leaving behind the entire population of Shadowville. And Norm certainly wouldn't be upset about leaving the overcast location behind. The genie could only hope that Amanda managed to adapt to the change quickly; he didn't want the odd child to return completely to that initial state he'd met her in, the girl barely able to keep eye contact with him.

He closed his eyes, focusing on trying to enjoy what remained of the sun's warmth. He'd spent the last twenty-four hours teleporting to new tropical locations in different time zones in order to maximize his time in the sun. Winter was approaching and, unless the kid ended up moving somewhere with a drastically different climate, he would be dealing with some cold weather in the future. Even in his distracted state, he knew he should savor the warmth while he had the opportunity. Being trapped in a lamp for decades or centuries at a time tended to make a guy appreciate the little things; even _if_ the idea of being sucked back in currently seemed like a rather distant idea with Amanda's restraint in regards to wishing.

But, as relaxing as the beach should have been and regardless of how much he was trying to focus on enjoying the warm and sunny weather, Norm knew he should likely meet up with the girl soon. By now she should, in theory, be at her new home. He needed to figure out where he'd be seeing her for now on. The genie snapped his fingers.

Rather than appearing too close to the lava lamp and risk being spotted if Amanda didn't have it somewhere out of the way, he _gonged_ somewhere above the location. There tended to be fewer eyes around once you reach the cloud line. Feeling rather secure that he wasn't likely to be seen unless he bumped into a random low-flying aircraft, the magical creature began to examine his surroundings. And he instantly began to have a sense of déjà vu.

"No way my luck's that bad," he muttered, flying towards the rest of the town.

Hoping he was wrong, the genie kept noticing familiar features and trying to convince himself that he was mistaken. There were plenty of cities on this planet. Surely some of them looked similar? Just because a few landmarks looked like…

Then, he found the sign and that slim hope was dashed. The large structure announced, "Welcome to Dimmsdale." Amanda's family had moved to the center of all magical weirdness, the hometown of Timmy Turner.

"Aw, _fez_ ," he growled under his breath.

On the one hand, this offered the opportunity to get his revenge on the bucked-tooth loser. It was easier to plan things when he could observe the situation and figure out the best way to approach the problem of delivering his vengeance. On the other hand, it would be nearly impossible to keep Amanda out of it. Turner tended to cause city-wide chaos (if not more widespread) on a regular basis and she was smarter than the average human. And if he and his fairies became aware of his presence, a distinct possibility even if the genie kept a low profile and didn't make any type of attack against the brat, it would undoubtedly lead back to the girl eventually. If they figured out Norm was in the area, he knew it wouldn't be pretty.

"Okay, I'm a fifty-thousand year old magical genie who specializes in cunning and effective plans again idiotic mortals," he muttered to himself. "He's an eleven year old kid who doesn't think things through, but has plenty of magic and luck on his side. All I have to do is remain undetected by him while I devise my revenge in such a way that Amanda is never connected to me and she never learns about the less-than-complementary truth about my species. And I have to avoid letting the fairies know either since they'll be with Turner and they're more likely to spot me." He paused a moment, considering the complexity of trying to keep the entire mess from exploding in his face. Then, he commented wryly, "I wonder if the universe would like to make my life more challenging. Maybe toss in a Smoof convention? Or an invasion of aliens to put Turner on high alert?"

Well, revenge is rarely simple and straightforward to achieve. He could be patient and careful. If he didn't do anything flashy and obvious, especially in near range to Turner and his fairies, he should be able to avoid detection. The general weirdness that seemed to befall Dimmsdale should make hiding a little easier. But, no matter what he did, Amanda would not be involved. Norm would keep her out of his vengeance entirely.

* * *

Her new room was beige, just like her old one. It might be a little bigger, but she couldn't be sure. Unlike her parents' room, hers was on the first floor and tucked at the end of a hallway. She ended up decorating it almost exactly how it was at the old house, the layout perfectly mimicking the previous one. Her clothes went back into the dresser, her photograph went on top, Teddy went on her bed, and she finished by placing the lava lamp back on the nightstand.

"Well, this looks familiar," Norm remarked, appearing unexpectantly above her. "In fact, it looks almost exactly like your other room. Don't like change?"

Amanda shrugged, "I don't know what else to do."

"Get a poster, put up some curtains, toss a rug on the floor, do _something_ ," suggested the genie. "Show a little personality in your room."

"But I don't have a poster or curtains or a rug."

"Fine, put that on your Christmas list."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"So that fat guy, Santa, will show up with some gifts," he explained slowly.

She blinked, "He's real too? And he really brings presents?"

"Duh, didn't your par… didn't your _grandmother_ ever tell you about him?" Norm asked, changing in mid-word at one point as he apparently realized the futility of a particular question.

She nodded, "Yeah, but I stopped getting presents after she died. Mom and Dad don't really do anything special around the holiday."

The girl thought about how the Christmas used to be. She and Grandma would decorate a tree with pretty ornaments, some of them nothing more than paper cut into the shapes of snowmen and Santa Claus. They would bake cookies together, the sweet smell filling the whole house practically. And, when the day finally arrived, they would wake up early and open the presents. Her present to Grandma always ended up being something she made, but her grandmother always seemed to love it.

The genie crossed his arms, "I'm going to guess you didn't write Santa any letters afterwards."

"Grandma used to write the letters for me. I didn't know _how_ to write back then."

"Well, there's your problem," he stated. "If you don't write a letter, he doesn't know that he's supposed to bring you stuff. So, this year you need to write that you need some stuff to make your room less bland."

There was something wrong. Even if Norm's words sounded like what she might expect him to say, he seemed a little distracted and distant. There was something on his mind.

"Are you okay, Norm?"

He startled slightly at her question, but quickly adopted a more casual tone, "What, me? I'm fine. A little tired, but that's it."

Slowly, she decided to accept his answer and stated, "Okay. I'm a little sleepy too. And I have school in the morning."

"Yeah, I have big plans for tomorrow too. I need to… keep an eye on a few things. Try to keep out of trouble."

* * *

The eleven year old boy was curled up under his blanket, trying to fall back asleep. It was almost morning, but he didn't quite want to climb out of his cozy bed. The weekend was over and, once he got up, he would have to go out into a world of crazy teachers, aggressive bullies, and violent babysitters. Sleep sounded like such a more appealing option and his pillow was so comfy…

Just as he felt himself beginning to doze off again, the brunette boy heard his alarm clock go off and he was forced to admit defeat. He sat up, turned off the annoying noise, and turned his attention to the nearby fishbowl. The small glass container and, more importantly, the sleepy-looking occupants brought a smile to the child's face.

Three goldfish floating in a bowl of water with only a small castle for decoration might seem like a rather quaint and cheap addition to a boy's life, but they were among the most important individuals in his existence. They weren't his pets; they were his family.

As occurred every morning since they came into his life, the goldfish disappeared from the fishbowl and reappeared in a new form nearby with a small _poof_. No longer in their aquatic disguises, the trio of fairies was floating slightly above the boy as he slid off the bed.

"Good morning, Timmy," greeted the pink-haired one. She waved her wand, switching him from pajamas to regular clothes, including his pink hat, with a _poof_. "Sleep well?"

"Mostly," he answered. "Turns out that spending the afternoon using Dark Laser's Death Ball as a giant golf ball wears you out."

"Plus, golf's a boring game anyway," added the green-haired one. "I normally fall asleep or change the channel. But Dark Laser's screaming made it a _little_ more fun."

"Of course, you do realize he's going to be even madder next time he shows up," the pink-haired fairy pointed out.

Timmy shrugged, "He was trying to blow up the Earth again, Wanda. And he already wants to destroy me anyway, so why shouldn't I have some fun stopping him?" He picked up his backpack and began sliding his textbooks inside. "Besides, I didn't make his Death Ball self-destruct this time. I just caused a few dents and knocked it across the galaxy."

"Yeah, Timmy's done far worse his enemies in the past," the green-haired fairy remarked. "Like when he ruined Crocker's childhood. Or when he read Vicky's diary in order to torture her with it. Or that time…"

"Okay, Cosmo, I get it," the boy interrupted.

"Poof, poof," commented the floating infant fairy with the purple eyes.

Wanda smiled at her baby, "All right, Poof. I'll get you some breakfast."

Holding up her wand, the fairy produced a high-chair with a quick _poof_. She set her child down and proceeded to produce a bowl of oatmeal in a similar manner.

"Oh, oh, me too!" exclaimed Cosmo excitedly, but somehow ended up with the bowl of food materializing above him and having it splatter all over his head.

"I guess I'll go downstairs and eat my own breakfast," commented Timmy, rather unsurprised by his godfather's actions. "Then we're headed for the bus."

"Sounds like a great way to start off a perfectly normal, completely un-life-changing, absolutely routine day of school," remarked Cosmo cheerfully, vanishing the spilled food with a _poof_ of his wand. Then, he added, "Especially if we get corn. Corn is _nice_."

The boy chuckled at his fairy godparent's odd statement, but didn't really respond as he headed for the door. Cosmo might not be the brightest being on the planet and he was certainly prone to illogical comments and Wanda's tendency to worry too much about consequences of his wishes and making the right choices overall, but Timmy wouldn't trade them for anything in the universe. Both his godparents and little god-brother, Poof, were an irreplaceable part of his family and the boy had gone to some rather impressive lengths to ensure they stayed together and stayed safe.

In the kitchen, Timmy's parents were already eating breakfast and his bowl of cereal was waiting. Dad already had his tie on and the newspaper was in front of him. Mom smiled at the boy as he sat down.

"Good morning, Timmy," she greeted.

"Morning, son," his father added, setting the newspaper down. "Did you remember to take out the garbage yesterday?"

"Yes, Dad," the boy answered. Unlike most of his chores, he tended to take care of that task without magic now. After the disaster that occurred last time that garbage and magic mixed, it was safer to deal with that job without wishing. After eating in silence for a few minutes, he added, "Heading to work?"

The man stood up, "Of course. Those pencils don't push themselves." The black-haired parent began walking towards the front door and called cheerfully, "Bye, Honey. Bye, Timmy."

"And I have several chores to finish today," Mom added, clearing the rest of the table of dishes. "As soon as you're on the bus, I'll be starting the laundry and dusting the living room. I don't want to leave a mess when your father and I head out tonight."

"So Vicky's coming," Timmy muttered dryly. " _Joy_."

"I knew you'd be happy," smiled his parent, completely oblivious to the boy's sarcasm.

Taking a final bite of his cereal, Timmy stated "I need to go. The bus will be here soon."

"All right. Have a good day at school," she responded cheerfully.

He shook his head as he left the kitchen and his parent behind. He loved his mom and dad, but they could be really busy and completely blind to obvious facts. They could also be stupid and rather unconcerned with how he was affected by their actions, but that tended to only happen on particularly bad days. Deep down, he always knew his parents loved him and even on their most insensitive and moronic days, that didn't change. They love him, but they were not always the best at acting like responsible and reasonable adults.

And, even after every crazy or selfish action, he still loved his mom and dad. When he really needed them or when he wasn't expecting it, they would come through for him. They weren't perfect, but they were _his_ family.

Besides, they were part of the reason he had his _other_ family. If they weren't too busy to be with him and too oblivious to realize Vicky's evilness, he would never have received Cosmo and Wanda. If they didn't remain so distracted and easily fooled, he wouldn't still have the fairies as a secret from them. Without the human half of his family acting exactly as they were, he would lose the magical half of his family.

As a pink pen, a green pencil, and a purple eraser (all three of them with eyes) appeared in his hand with a small _poof_ , Timmy couldn't help reflecting on how lucky he was in some ways. His parents, godparents, and god-brother loved him and generally wanted him to be happy, even if things were rarely simple for him. And he loved them back, faults and all.

* * *

Her turtleneck was as high as she could manage, her eyes were locked on the ground, and her hand was gripping the strap of her backpack so tightly that she expected her fingers to go numb. She was surrounded by so many new people, a few giving the girl a curious look, and she didn't know what to do about it. A part of her wanted to say something to all these students, wanted to try befriending someone. But the rest of her knew better than to make such an attempt. Amanda knew she had nothing to offer a potential friend; she wasn't interesting, fun, or special in any way. She could only get in the way and waste their time. As soon as the teacher had finished introducing her, she did her absolute best to fade into the background. By the end of the day, no one really seemed to give her much more than a casual glance before moving on. She didn't expect anything different.

Amanda knew she wouldn't have friends at her new school. She didn't even bother to try a futile attempt at gaining them. Except for Norm and Grandma before she died, no one ever wanted to be around her. She knew that and trying to make friends would be nothing more than an unwanted annoyance for everyone.

But she _was_ trying to make things a little better at her new school. After a lot of stressful debate, the brunette child had chosen to leave Teddy at home. It was hard to leave him on her bed, but part of the bullying she suffered was a result of carrying around the stuffed animal all the time. Besides, it would be safer for the toy at home. She didn't want her gift from Grandma to be ripped apart again.

Instead, she'd brought Norm's lamp in her backpack. He hadn't been very talkative that morning either, but she made certain that the lava lamp wasn't very fragile. According to the genie, it was far more resistant and durable than most people would think. Since she wasn't bringing Teddy, she brought the lamp to keep her company during the day. He might not be with her at school since he said he needed to take care of a few things, but bringing the lava lamp was the next best thing to having Norm with her. It was almost as comforting as keeping Teddy with her.

She held onto the backpack strap as she wandered out of her third grade classroom. Her first day of school was over and she couldn't wait to get home. Once she was home, she wouldn't have to fade into the background. At least, she wouldn't have to once she was in her room.

Abruptly, her progression towards the bus was halted. A large hand had clamped down on her shoulder and spun her around.

"You're a new face. I'll have to add you to my bullying lists for later, but I have an opening in my schedule today. Aren't you lucky?"

A quick look demonstrated that the obstacle was an older, taller grey boy. He wore a lot of dark clothing and a rather malicious expression as he gazed down at her. Amanda recognized a potential threat when she saw him. In response, she felt her gaze drift back down to the ground and her body tensed in preparation to endure whatever he might do to her.

* * *

Another day of listening to Mr. Crocker give one of the same fairy-related rants to the class was finally over. Even if he knew that his teacher was generally right with his suspicions, it didn't make the hunchbacked man any less crazy. Timmy believed that Jorgen had practically surrendered on trying to keep most things secret from the teacher. As long as the man didn't get proof to share with the world (or worse, some form of power or magic that would enable him to become a serious threat again), everyone was apparently happy to simply ignore his rambling.

"Well, today could have been worse," remarked Timmy quietly to his school supply-disguised fairies.

"Yeah, he only freaked out three times after lunch," Cosmo pointed out. "That has to be a new record."

"No, AJ keeps records on Crocker's 'Fairy Godparents' spasms," the boy corrected the green pencil. "Apparently the record for the smallest number of freak outs is two and a half."

Wanda, disguised as a pen in his hand, asked, "How'd he end up with 'a half'?"

"Someone hit him with a door in the middle of a freak out."

By this point, the fifth grader had reached the entranceway of the school. The bus was directly in front of him, waiting patiently by the curb while students filed on. The only reason the boy paused was to scan the area for enemies. He knew for a fact that Francis had a tendency to appear without warning and he really didn't want to encounter the bully today. As soon as he determined the grey child's location, Timmy would make a break for the bus.

"Hey, look," remarked Cosmo abruptly. "Francis is making a new friend. Maybe he got tired of you."

After the disguised fairy pointed it out, Timmy spotted the large bully. The grey child was looming over a young girl that the pink-hatted kid didn't recognize. She was wearing a teal turtleneck and bow, was holding onto the strap of her purple backpack tightly as she stared at the ground, and didn't even try to run away. The brunette girl was younger than Timmy and a little shorter than him, meaning she was a perfect target for the aggressive bully.

"While I feel bad for her, I'm glad he's going after someone _else_ for a change," commented the boy.

"Really, Timmy? You're going to leave her to _Francis_?" asked Wanda.

"Hey, he isn't beating me up for once," he pointed out. "That means he's not my problem today."

Even as the brunette boy spoke, he knew he would have to do the right thing. A pink pen should not be able to cause guilt with just one look, but Wanda was rather talented at those when she chose to use one. If his fairy godmother chose to use her maternal "magic of guilt" capabilities against him, Timmy would always eventually make the right choice.

"Fine," he sighed. Taking a few steps towards the grey boy, who was now grabbing his victim's arm roughly while smirking, he called, "Come on, Francis. Are you seriously considering beating up a girl? Even _you_ can't stoop that low."

Turning away from the cringing and confused victim, the larger boy remarked, "True, most people would say this is crossing a line. But I rather pride myself by being progressive with my tormenting. I'm an equal opportunity bully."

"Well, I tried," Timmy commented quietly after his failed attempt to reason with him. Another quick glare from his pink pen caused him to groan, "Fine, I'll save her. I wish Francis was distracted."

The green pencil shouted, "Oh, I can do that."

Cosmo waved a small wand swiftly and a flock of crows appeared in the sky with a _poof_. The birds instantly dove towards the bully, cawing and pecking at his face. Francis, screaming in fear and shock, released his grip on the girl and began to swat away at the avian pests. Timmy took this opportunity to run forward and grab her hand.

"Come on," he urged, pulling her after him.

Leading the girl behind him, the boy ran away from both the bus and the bully. They would need to hide somewhere. Eventually Francis would realize they were gone and he would try to find them. They should probably stay out of his way for a while.

* * *

Her rescuer led her to the back of the school and finally stopped running when they hid behind a dumpster. The smell was horrible and there were several cardboard boxes that just didn't seem to fit inside the large metal container and were overflowing onto the ground because of the lack of space, but it certainly hid them from sight. If the stench didn't discourage pursuers, then the collection of boxes offered far more locations to conceal themselves from view.

Amanda couldn't believe what just happened. He noticed her, _really_ noticed her. She was facing a bully when this boy actually said something about it. And he didn't just say something. He saved her from the large grey boy, Francis, when the birds attacked. A stranger cared enough to help her.

Amanda brought her gaze up, trying to study her rescuer. The brunette boy was a little older than her, maybe ten or eleven years old. He had bucked teeth, a pink hat and shirt, and he wasn't much taller than her. He didn't look particularly special and he didn't seem to be the type of person who would stand out in a crowd, but he seemed to actually notice her and that made him different.

Glancing around, he commented, "I think we're safe. I don't think Francis saw where we went." Looking relieved, he smiled at her and added, "By the way, my name's Timmy."

"My name's Amanda," she responded, her eyes dropping down again and she absently tugged at the neck of her turtleneck. "Thank you for helping. You didn't have to."

He shrugged, "It's okay. I wis… I _would like_ it if someone saved me occasionally from him." He paused a moment, glancing down at the school supplies in his hand. Then, he asked, "I don't remember seeing you before. Are you new?"

She nodded, "We just moved here from Shadowville."

"Well, you're certainly off to a bad start. Your first day here and Francis tried to terrorize you. Of course, he goes after everyone eventually. Except the popular kids, but he isn't crazy," Timmy commented. "Next time, try running away from him. He prefers slow-moving targets."

A shy smile formed. He seemed so nice and friendly. He probably had lots of friends. And he was talking _to_ her instead of _at_ her. She couldn't believe her luck. This was far more social interactions than she ever received at her old school. She knew that he likely would forget all about her as soon as she left, but it was still overwhelming and exciting. She couldn't wait to tell Norm about this encounter.

"Dude, the coast is clear," a new voice interrupted as two other boys came around the corner of the dumpster. "You're safe now. But what were you thinking?"

The boy who was speaking had blond hair and an olive green jacket over a black shirt. He also wore braces and had a few freckles. The other boy was a bald African American wearing a blue sweater vest. Both of them seemed to be the same age as her rescuer and seemed completely focused on the pink-hatted boy.

"Come on, Chester," Timmy responded. "It's her first day of school here. It isn't right to let Francis go after a girl on her first day. Besides, we got away from him." Then, he gestured towards her, "This is Amanda. Amanda, these are my best friends, Chester and AJ."

"Nice to meet you," she mumbled, her eyes locked on the ground.

"Hi," AJ responded quickly before turning towards his friend again. "I hope you realize that this little rescue mission caused you to miss the bus."

"And so did we," pointed out Chester, keeping some distance between him and Amanda.

Timmy reminded him, "You didn't _have_ to come. Besides, walking won't kill us. And we can use the time to warn her about other people to watch out for." He smiled at the overwhelmed girl, "Do you want to walk with us?"

"Um… you don't mind?" she asked timidly.

"But… girls… hives…," stammered Chester uneasily.

AJ remarked, "I believe that she is too young to properly qualify as an actual 'girl,' so she shouldn't activate your allergy to them."

"It'll be fine, Amanda," Timmy assured her.

Squeezing her backpack strap with her hand, thinking about the comforting presence of the lava lamp inside, she gave him mildly-stronger smile, "Thank you."


	7. Friends

Norm began to truly wonder if concepts like karma were real. He knew that humans who tried to abuse his magic tended to suffer for it, but that wasn't karma so much as it was _him_. But he was beginning to seriously wonder if things like his continued feud with all things Canadian or his manipulation of some of the less selfish masters was coming back to haunt him.

He could blame bad luck on Amanda moving to Dimmsdale. And her going to the same elementary school could be explained by her age. But, while watching her from a distance and seriously considering turning the grey boy into a ferret, things swiftly progressed from possible coincidence to "oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me."

Turner. Amanda had met the enemy and, even worse, they seemed to be getting along. How could his luck be this bad? He wanted to keep his revenge plans separated from his hobbies, but now they were simply walking down the street together.

Wearing a trench coat and fedora, the genie carefully floated after them at a reasonable distance. He probably looked like a creepy stalker, but no one would automatically assume he was a magical creature. Even though he couldn't spot his godparents at the moment, Norm knew they were there and he wanted to avoid them noticing his presence. As long as Turner and fairies didn't identify him, he didn't really care what anyone else thought of him.

From what he could hear, the trio of boys was describing a number of things at the school to beware of. Most seemed to be common sense statements, like leaving the popular kids alone, don't eat the mystery meat, and staying away from anyone with a grey complexion and ape-like physique. Then a particular name caught his attention.

"And always stay away from Mr. Crocker on March 15," Turner stated firmly.

Chester added, "Or just avoid him all the time."

Even though the blond boy had ruined his last attempt at revenge against the bucked-toothed loser, Norm didn't hold much of a grudge against that particular past master. He made a good pawn, overall, and the genie should have kept closer tabs on the kid with the lamp. Besides, most of his plan had unraveled by the time Chester made his final wish anyway. His attempt at freedom by becoming a godparent had already failed, so he only messed up the "revenge on Turner" aspect. And Norm was more willing to let a little thing like halting a vengeance scheme than he would someone stopping his bid for freedom like Turner did. Thus, Chester did not end up on his hit list.

"Why do I need to avoid him?" Amanda asked quietly.

The third boy explained, "He's crazy. Mr. Crocker is obsessed with proving his completely-bonkers idea that fairies are real."

Laughing slightly, Chester continued, "He really believes they're real and keeps trying to catch one. And he keeps targeting Timmy with his insane plans because he's _positive_ Timmy has some."

The brunette boy chuckled nervously, "Yeah, how crazy does that sound?"

"Oh…," mumbled the girl, adopting a rather thoughtful expression.

At that moment, the genie realized that they would be having another uncomfortable conversation in the near future. She was a clever and curious child. She would want to know if Timmy had fairies and would wonder if Norm knew anything about it. And, upon reflection, the genie could almost remember saying Crocker's name around her. If she recognized the name, it would raise even more questions.

Norm allowed himself to fall back further, increasing the distance between him and the group of children. Once he felt that he was far enough away, he snapped his fingers. He would wait in her room and try to figure out what to say.

* * *

As they reached one intersection, their group split in half. Chester and AJ had to head to their respective homes and Timmy, upon inquiring about the quiet girl's address, found out that Amanda's residence wasn't too far out of his way. Rather than let her wander around a strange town on her own, the boy decided to walk the rest of the way with her. Besides, he could always have Cosmo and Wanda _poof_ him back home when he was done.

Timmy glanced at the brunette girl who was staring at the ground. Conversation with her had been difficult so far. Beyond the occasional question, she'd remained silent for much of the trip. It wasn't the quiet of being ignored, such as Trixie Tang generally employed. It was more of a shy and uncertain silence.

"Um… I guess you miss your friends back in Shadowville," he began uneasily, trying to get a response.

"I didn't really have any friends," she responded after a moment. "No one would want to be one with me."

"What? What do you mean you didn't have any friends?" asked Timmy in shock. "Even Tootie has friends and her sister scares off everyone."

Amanda glanced at him momentarily, "Why would I have them? I'm not special enough. I haven't done anything to deserve them. Some people are simply not meant to have friends."

He didn't have to look at the disguised fairies to know they were equally stunned by her statement. It was a depressing thought. What kind of person would come up with that? It was almost as bad as the time Timmy wished himself out of existence and Jorgen tried to convince him that the world would be better off without a certain pink-hatted boy as some kind of freaky test.

"That's just stupid," he stated. "I just met you and I can't see any reason why you shouldn't have friends. You're kind of quiet and don't have the sense to run away, but compared to Vicky or Crocker, you've got great people skills. Haven't you _ever_ had a friend?"

This time, she hesitated as she remarked, "Not… really, but… there is someone who's sort of like… I like him and enjoy spending time with him… and we do stuff together and talk… even if he doesn't have to be there… He's great, but… I don't know if…"

"Well, he sure sounds like a friend," pointed out Timmy, interrupting her disjointed explanation. "And, if you don't have a lot of friends to pick from, that means he also qualifies as your best friend. Which means you're wrong about not having friends."

"But I… he… would he really… best friend?" she stammered.

"And, since I just risked getting beat up by Francis to save you," added Timmy after an encouraging look from his pink pen, "I think that it only makes sense that I add you to my list of back-up friends. On a trial basis."

This time, Amanda stopped dead in her tracks. The boy was just glad they weren't crossing the street when she froze. Judging by the absolutely astonished expression, she would likely not even move if she ended up in the middle of traffic. Her eyes were at least off the ground now. Instead, she was staring at him.

"But… why would you… _want_ me around?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You seem like a nice enough person and it's only a trial basis. If you start stalking me or trying to make me your boyfriend, I'll do my best to avoid you. But, otherwise, it might be fun," he explained.

"I…," she began before relaxing from her stunned expression. The girl gave a slight smile, "Thank you."

As they began walking again, Timmy heard Wanda state quietly, "That was very sweet of you, Sport. I'm proud of you."

The boy gave a small smile at the comment. Amanda seemed like a decent person and it wouldn't kill him to add another back-up friend. Elmer and Sanjay could argue out where she fit into the exact rankings later. As long as she didn't try to be his girlfriend or anything weird like that, everything should be fine.

After traveling a few more blocks in silence, Amanda abruptly commented, "I think we're here."

The house they stopped in front of was a nice one. It wasn't at the same level as Trixie's, but it was still of reasonable size and certainly more expensive than his own home. The white building reminded him a little bit of AJ's house in style. The hedges were perfectly trimmed and neat, giving the place a rather orderly appearance. Still resting on the lawn was a "sold" sign that looked a lot like the ones his mom used.

"This is where you live?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes. Thank you for walking me home and for… everything."

"No problem. See you later."

Amanda gave a small smile before running towards the front door. As soon as she was inside and the coast was clear, Timmy looked at the disguised fairies.

"I wish I was home."

* * *

The girl practically sprinted for her room. She couldn't believe it. He wanted her to be his friend. It didn't matter that it was a trial basis or that she was a back-up friend. This was still far more than she ever dreamed possible. Even discovering that a genie lived in the lava lamp in her backpack and learning about the numerous magical creatures that existed just out of sight were easier concepts for the child to accept. She'd just gained something she'd never hoped to possess and Timmy offered this precious gift, friendship, as it if was no big deal.

And he even suggested that she already had a friend. She didn't say Norm's name or described anything specific about him, but what she did mention about him was apparently enough for the boy to declare that the genie was her friend. She already decided months ago that she was _his_ friend, but Timmy seemed to think that Norm was her friend back. Amanda didn't' know how true that statement might be, but the brunette boy probably knew far more about friendship than she would and it would likely be best to trust his judgment in this case. Besides, if he was right, that meant she could consider Norm her first and best friend.

Opening the door to her room, she found the genie already floating above her bed. His shades were pushed up high enough that she couldn't see his eyes and he was leaning back in a rather relaxed position. As she stepped inside, he sat up and turned towards her.

"Hey, kid," he greeted casually. "You look rather happy today. Be careful or else your face will freeze with that grin on it. And you'll be stuck with a career as a clown."

She giggled slightly, "Sorry, Norm, but something really good happened today. I met a boy."

"Should I send out the wedding invitations, then?" he asked dryly.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's too old. But… he said I could be his friend. A back-up friend on a trial basis, but that still means he wants me to be his friend," she explained excitedly. "Can you believe it?"

"No," answered the genie in a tone that could only be described as pure and concentrated deadpan. "I don't believe it."

"His name is Timmy and he wears a pink hat," she explained. "He helped me escape a bully and walked home with me. And he and his friends were talking about all sorts of different things like their teacher, Mr. Crocker." She paused, a previous thought she'd had pushing its way through her enthusiasm. "Hey, Norm? Didn't you mention a Crocker once?"

"Yeah, he was one of my old masters. Hunchbacked, obsessive, not very bright, and completely annoying due to the fact he always insisted in ignoring the easy and obvious options," remarked the floating magical creature.

"Could Timmy's teacher be the same man?" the girl asked, pulling the lamp out of her backpack.

"Afraid so," he answered. "I actually spent quite a bit of time in Dimmsdale at a certain point, even if most of my past masters won't remember. Their third wish tends to undo everything, including rubbing the lava lamp in the first place. Crocker should still remember me. As should Timmy Turner."

"You know Timmy?" Amanda asked in amazement. "Did he used to have your lamp?"

This time, Norm was speaking slowly and cautiously. It seemed as if the genie was considering each word carefully to ensure he didn't say the wrong thing.

"Yes, he possessed the lava lamp for a short time and I met the boy. I even granted his wishes. But we didn't… we didn't quite part on the best of terms in the end. Last time we ran into each other, things didn't go smoothly between us."

The girl felt concerned by this statement and inquired with equal care, "What happened?"

"It's a long story," he remarked, adjusting his shades a little to look at her. "But the best thing for everyone would be for him to not find out I'm back in town. Okay?"

She wanted to ask again what happened. What could have happened between the genie and the nice boy she met today? But Norm didn't want to tell her, so she wouldn't ask again.

There was one important question she needed an answer to, however. This one she was a little nervous about, taking her time to place the lava lamp on her side table in order to put off asking as long as possible. If Norm said "yes," she would go ahead with the plan. Regardless of what she might want, it was far more important to do what is best.

"Do you… do you want me to stay away from him, Norm?" the girl asked. "I will, if you want me to. I… I won't mind."

The look the genie gave her seemed to be an odd mixture of surprise and something else she couldn't quite identify before he shoved his sunglasses back into place to hide his eyes. He didn't immediately respond. She waited patiently for his answer.

"No, don't do that," he finally stated, his tone as strange as his expression. "You…. You shouldn't give up your friend. Just because we're not on the best of terms doesn't mean he can't be friends with you. Just don't tell him about me."

"Okay," Amanda smiled, feeling rather relieved. "If you say so."

"Well, now that we have that taken care of, how about I go grab us some pizza?" suggest Norm.

As soon as she nodded, he snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_.

* * *

He couldn't get away fast enough. It had been awhile since the last time he'd wanted to escape a location and a specific person this badly. Not even the time when Amanda started inquiring too deeply into the relationship between fairies and genies did he feel this level of desperation to get away. He couldn't believe the power this child held over him, how she could twist those treacherous emotions into a painful tool with just a few words. He'd entered into the conversation with the knowledge that it would be difficult, but he'd been nowhere near prepared for turn it took near the end.

Amanda claimed months ago, back when he didn't understand the odd girl fully and held no concerns about her emotional responses, that the only thing she truly wanted was a friend. Not someone compelled by magic to act as a companion, but someone who actually liked her and honestly wanted her friendship. When offered the magical potential of a genie, that single concept was the only thing she desired. The lonely child wanted a friend and, even without the use of magic, she managed to gain one.

And then, after obtaining her one desire, the girl offered to give up her new friend without any argument or even any prompting. Because of him. She was willing to stay away from Timmy Turner simply because Norm told her they didn't get along. The idea that she would give up what she wanted more than anything simply because of him only served to prove beyond even the most stubborn doubt that the child was nothing like any other human being. The kid truly cared about him.

The smart thing would have been to say yes. If the two of them remained in close proximity, if they were _friends_ , it would be even harder to keep Amanda out of his revenge. The genie's life would be so much easier if he just accepted her offer. And it wasn't even like he was _asking_ her to do this; the girl was the one who made the suggestion.

But the second he even heard her unbelievable offer, Norm was hit by a combination of shock, guilt, and something else that left him feeling a little happy and very miserable at the same time. Even considering taking up her up on her suggestion caused a painful lump to inexplicably form in his throat. He only regained his ability to speak when he chose to tell Amanda not to sacrifice her happiness because of him. All of his past arguments that he didn't truly care about her, that his continued presence in her life was merely due to him being interesting, and that he viewed her in the same light as he would a fun hobby or a clever pet were beginning to sound hollow and false even to his own ears. You didn't have this type of reaction when you didn't have a real attachment to them.

"Caring about my master? _Liking_ the kid?" he muttered, floating above the Atlantic Ocean. He'd gone to the first isolated location that popped into his head, more concerned about being alone than having a real destination. "I am one messed-up, disgrace of a genie. On the other hand, I'm well on my way towards turning into a dumb, annoying fairy with all this behavior." He shook his head at the thought, "Figures that I'd start thinking and acting like one of those wand waving godparents _after_ I lose the job."

He knew that he could float out here all night, trying to sort out everything. He also knew that any answers he devised concerning Amanda, Turner, and the entire mess would not be very helpful. Besides, he was supposed to be doing something else at the moment.

Producing a cell phone with a quick _gong_ , Norm quickly dialed and began, "Hey, Papa Jingle's? I'd like to place an order for pick-up."

* * *

"I wonder what Timmy wanted to tell us, Elmer," the dark-haired boy remarked. "I'm sure that his news will be most exciting."

The other boy shrugged, "I don't know, Sanjay. Maybe he has an activity coming up that Chester and AJ won't be able to attend."

"A chance to spend quality time with Timmy? Oh, that is definitely most exciting. I hope you are right," grinned Sanjay. "I can think of no better way to spend a day than with him."

The two boys, the absolutely bottom rungs of the social hierarchy, were waiting on the bus for him. They'd been surprised to receive an e-mail from Timmy, but neither the bespectacled youth with the yellow shirt nor the bespectacled boy with the large boil would ever give up a chance to be included in something.

"I think that taking over the word would be better," the boil muttered into Elmer's mind.

He knew that the boils should not be considered as their own entity. No one else he knew with such blemishes, like his parent, gave them a name, let alone believed that they could think and share their thoughts. Bob, his boil, was not normal. Elmer could hear his thoughts and knew he wanted to take over the world. He didn't like it when Bob declared his evil thoughts in his head, but he'd been the closest thing the boy used to have as a friend prior to his short time as the substitute Timmy and he was still a rather reliable ally. As long as he ignored the fact that Bob tried to control his mind sometimes, it wasn't too bad.

"Hey, guys," greeted the pink-hatted boy, taking the seat across the aisle from them. "I just thought I would let you both know that I've decided to add a new member to my back-up friends. On a trial basis."

"What? Why, Timmy? Are you demoting one of us?" asked Sanjay in horror.

"No, nothing like that," he answered swiftly. "There's just a new student. She needed a little help and I thought giving her this chance would be best."

Elmer inquired, "A girl? Is this anything like your attempts to get Trixie's attention?"

"No, she's just a kid," he responded. "She's like seven or eight."

"Okay, but why is she in the same category as us? She's younger than us and she's a girl," pointed out Sanjay. "There should be a different category for her."

"We do have our pride," continued Elmer. "We earned our place as your back-up friends. She can't just come in here and try to steal our spot. Can she?"

"Fine, I'll organize my entire friendship set-up by gender as well as closeness," sighed Timmy. "I don't see the big deal. Especially since she's on a trial basis."

Sanjay explained simply, "It is the principle of the thing. We do not need extra competition."

"We could take her out of the picture," muttered Bob, but only Elmer could hear his idea.

At the next bus stop, Timmy stood up and waved towards the girl who was stepping onto the vehicle. She looked nervous, but she sat beside the bucked-tooth boy. She tugged at her turtleneck slightly and seemed to be staring at the ground a lot, but she didn't seem to be a real threat to their friendship with Timmy. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He'd worked hard to get ahead of Sanjay in the first place and he didn't want to lose that position.

"Everyone, this is Amanda," Timmy introduced. "Amanda, these are my other back-up friends.

"I am Sanjay," the dark-haired boy proclaimed.

"My name is Elmer," remarked the other child. "And this is my boil, Bob."

In a quiet voice, the girl responded, "It's nice to meet you."

"Once I take over, it won't be so nice," Bob commented, making Elmer grimace. "I will enslave or destroy all of you. And I will sing opera as I conquer."

* * *

He watched as she stepped off the bus and headed for the school. Amanda was with Turner and two other boys that Norm instantly labeled as complete losers. Two more, Chester and the bald boy from the day before, quickly joined them. As nervous as she looked, the girl also looked kind of happy to be with them. The kid deserved friends, even if the genie didn't particularly like her choices.

From his position across the street, he could see them perfectly and he was even able to spot the oddly-colored squirrels that quickly scurried over to Turner. Keeping a close eye on the boy and his fairies was rather important if he had any hope to get revenge. But he did experience a moment of shock when he spotted a pink, a green, and a _purple_ squirrel near the kid.

A third fairy? A smaller and purple one? Norm began to wonder if he should have read Turner's file more closely rather than merely skimming. The fact there was a third, smaller fairy present, and because he highly doubted Jorgen would assign another one to the boy, meant that it there was a good chance that the new addition was younger. As in _very_ young. The godparents might be actual parents now.

That was not good. Even if fairies weren't the most threatening opponents, they tended to be more dangerous when their god-kids were in trouble. It was some type of protective parental instinct similar to why you don't mess with a mother bear's cubs. He was already running that risk by targeting Turner. If he put both their godchild and their actual child in danger, or if they even thought they were being threatened, he could end up with a pair of very angry fairies and at least one of them wasn't a _complete_ idiot.

"Aw, fez," he muttered in frustration. "Why is getting a little revenge so hard?"

* * *

Principal Waxelplax was about to head for her office, and the delicious jelly donut that was waiting for her, when something odd across the street caught her eye. A mysterious man seemed to be just standing there, watching the young children as they headed towards the school. He was wearing a dark trench coat and fedora, hiding most of his features from sight. There was no real way to identify the strange individual who was watching the innocent children because of his unusual outfit, but the red-haired woman had her suspicions. There was really only one reason that she could think of to explain his presence. He was crazy. And if he was crazy, that lead to one logical conclusion.

"Crocker must be working on a new disguise," she decided. "Well, at least he isn't screaming about fairies at the moment. Time for the jelly."

All thoughts other than those concerning the delicious donut were instantly banished from her mind. Any concerns about making certain of the mysterious man's identity or how it almost looked like he was floating could not compete with the wonderful jelly-filled goodness. And the food definitely beat out the odd observation that he seemed to vanish or the unexplained cymbal _gong_.


	8. Teachers and Babysitters

Canada was truly suffering. Norm had changed their English and French signs so they were now written in Latin and Chinese. He'd considered using Atlantean, but he decided to have a little pity on them. Besides, between the plague of hockey-stick-seeking termites and the fact that all the Mounties' uniforms had inexplicably become plaid, they had enough problems without tossing in a dead language.

After some careful contemplation, the genie had decided that he would have to cut back on some of his kid-watching while Amanda was in public. While there had never been a problem when he observed the girl at a distance at her old school whenever he wanted, there was a greater danger of being noticed now that she was hanging around Turner. It would be safer to occupy himself with other activities while she was in close proximity of the bucked-tooth loser. Of course, Norm hadn't realized how much time he was now spending around her until he was forced consider cutting back.

So, he was torturing his least favorite country in new and unusual ways. He consider visiting a rather attractive red-haired genie he knew that was in Brazil in the middle of the second wish last time he checked, but he felt more like spreading some localized mayhem instead. Norm had experienced one complication after another in regards to his revenge. It was frustrating and he wanted to share his frustration with the population of Canada.

"Maybe a volcano," he muttered to himself. "I could add a large volcano right there, spewing lava all over the countryside. And I could toss Turner in it." After enjoying the nice mental image of the boy being thrown into the depths like a human sacrifice to appease the volcano gods, the genie shook his head, "No, the Canadians probably wouldn't mind the thing. They might even decide to put a volcano on their flag instead of the stupid leaf. And Amanda wouldn't appreciate me incinerating her friend."

Feeling frustrated again, Norm snapped his fingers. As a result, there was a soft _gong_ and a herd of moose began to stampede towards the closest city.

* * *

Sitting near the back of the classroom, Amanda's eyes were locked on the clock. During the school day, she was unable to interact with the other classes very much. And since Timmy, his friends, and his other back-up friends were two grades ahead of her, the girl wouldn't be able to spend any amount of time with them until the end of the day. She still didn't quite know what she should expect from them since she'd never had friends before, but she was excited to see what happened.

As soon as the bell rang, the girl sprinted towards the door. Part of her was afraid that she'd imagined Timmy's offer of friendship and any moment she might wake up to her normal life again. She needed to see the pink-hatted boy and assure herself that he was real.

She managed to make it to the fifth graders' classroom before everyone escaped. Unfortunately, in her haste to get through the wave of fleeing children, she ended up being knocked around and eventually crashed into someone taller than her. Someone _much_ taller than her.

Craning her neck, Amanda looked more closely at the individual she ended up running into. The man wore a simple outfit of black pants, white shirt, and a black tie. He glanced down at her through his round glasses, the black-haired individual clearly unhappy with her presence. Considering his presence at this particular classroom and the fact he had a visible hunch on his back, she recognized the man as the fifth grade teacher, Mr. Crocker.

"Sorry," she mumbled quickly. "I didn't mean to bump into you, sir."

"If you were in my class, I'd give your ability to look where you're going an _**F**_ ," he responded swiftly, shouting at the end of his sentence.

Cringing slightly, the girl took a small step back and replied softly, "I know. I'm really sorry."

"Fear," the man commented. "I like that in a student. That's a good mindset for you to have, especially after I take over the world."

And thus further proving the various accounts that referred to him as crazy, the teacher leaned close and stared at her in a scrutinizing manner. He even tapped his chin thoughtfully as he looked her over.

"I don't know you," stated Mr. Crocker.

"Amanda," called Timmy, finally getting over to her. Turning towards his teacher, he explained, "She's new. She just moved here."

"I see," he muttered. Then, he shouted accusingly, "So how do _you_ know her?"

Sanjay inserted helpfully, "She is Timmy's new back-up friend who is both on a trial basis and in a _completely_ different category because she is a girl. That way, she is in no way a threat to my friendship with Timmy."

"So, Turner decided to bring a female below his age group into his collection of companions. Tell me, child, have you seen anything… _unusual_ around him?" the teacher asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, noticing that the man's remaining students were cringing in anticipation and already had their hands ready to cover their ears.

"I mean, have you witnessed any unbelievable events or curious strokes of luck around Turner that could be the work of…," he explained before flailing wildly, " _ **Fairy Godparents?**_ "

The girl was probably the only one who reacted with shock to the strange freak out. While the man jerked his limbs around randomly and screamed the two word phrase at the top of his lungs, the other students barely flinched. Their earlier reactions and current behavior indicated that the teacher's odd freak out was a fairly regular occurrence.

Still a little stunned by his outburst, Amanda shook her head, "No, nothing weird like that has happened."

"Well, keep an eye on him," Mr. Crocker commanded. "If you can bring me proof of his _**Fairies**_ ," he shrieked again with a crazed look in his eye, "I might be able to find a place for you in my new world order."

At the back of the cluster of Timmy's friends, AJ pulled out a cuckoo clock from his desk. The clock produced the standard sound, giving the impression that someone was calling Mr. Crocker "cuckoo." The noise made the teacher glance around, searching for the culprit, but the bald boy had already hid the evidence before the man could spot him.

"Okay, I think she got it," commented Chester, sliding between the girl and the teacher. "Proof of fairies. New world order. But we really need to go or we'll miss the bus. And if we miss our ride home, you'll be stuck with us indefinitely."

"And you really don't want that," Timmy pointed out.

The teacher agreed, "You're right. I can barely stand you when I'm being paid to. After class, I don't have to be here. Of course, my other option is to go home to my mother and that prospect is not much more appealing. But its Bingo night, so maybe she'll leave early." He paused a moment, clearly weighing his options. "Very well. You may leave. Just remember what I said about Turner and his _**Fairy Godparents**_ ," he reminded, screaming and flailing at the last two words again before heading for the exit.

Amanda stared after the man for a few seconds before asking, "Is he always…?"

"Yes," Elmer answered simply.

"It certainly makes class more entertaining," remarked AJ.

"And louder," added Sanjay.

"Guys," Timmy interrupted. "The bus?"

Chester nodded, "Right."

The group of kids broke into a run. If they were lucky, they would get there in time. If they weren't as lucky, they would be walking home again.

* * *

By a miracle, and not a quickly muttered wish for the bus to be delayed, all of them managed to make it. Unfortunately, they didn't find seats close enough to allow Timmy to stare at Trixie, but you can't have everything. Spread across several nearby seats, their group was discussing plans for the afternoon. He originally didn't intend to do anything major with his friends today, but he wanted to distract Amanda away from thinking about everything Mr. Crocker said earlier. She was new and she might not instantly dismiss the man's words as someone who knew him better. It would be better to invite her along to hang out rather than let her ponder on the idea of fairies.

"So, who wants to head to my house to play Timmyball?" he suggested.

"Oh, that would be most excellent," exclaimed Sanjay.

"How do you play?" Amanda asked curiously.

"There are only two rules," AJ explained. "First, Timmy wins."

"The second one is that there are no rules," continued Chester.

Elmer frowned, "I can't come. My mom signed me up for tuba lessons."

The other bespectacled boy also frowned, "That is right. I cannot come either. My parents insist that I come straight home after school since the incident in the park where Francis pulled my undergarments over my head. My mother says she cannot continue to replace them when the elastic is stretched out."

"So, it'll just be me, Chester, AJ, and Amanda," concluded Timmy. "That could still be fun. Maybe."

"Do girls even _like_ Timmyball?" Chester asked.

The pink-hatted boy shrugged, "Don't know. We've never had one play before."

"As long as she doesn't slow things down too much, I'm willing to give her a chance," AJ stated.

"Great, sounds like a plan to me," the blond child commented.

* * *

This was the perfect day. Amanda had already decided that. Not only did she have at least one friend for certain, but now he'd invited her to his house to play. He wanted her to join him and his friends for a game. She didn't really know what type of game Timmyball would be or if she would like it, but she didn't care. Nothing could ruin her mood.

As they stepped off the bus with the trio of boys, she looked at the house. It was a nice building with white walls, a chimney, and black shingles on the roof. But the biggest difference between this location and her home was the feeling that surrounded the structure. Her house felt cold, detached, and proper. Timmy's home felt warm, welcoming, and comforting. She liked this place.

"Okay, we go in, grab the ball, and head for the backyard," summarized the pink-hatted boy. He paused a moment before glancing at her, "Do you need to call your parents and let them know where you are?"

Amanda, rather surprised at the idea of her parents noticing her absence even if they were home or they would care, answered simply, "No."

Satisfied by the girl's response, Timmy opened the door. Briefly, she caught a glimpse of a living room filled with more relaxed and colorful furniture than what would be found at her house. Amanda was quickly distracted away, however, by the two adults who were waiting inside.

"Hello, Timmy," the brunette woman greeted. "Did you have a nice day at school?"

"Yes, Mom," he answered quickly.

The black-haired man commented, "Oh, you brought your friends home with you. Plan on having a fun afternoon together?"

"Yes, Dad," the brunette boy confirmed, a slight note of suspicion in his voice as the group stepped inside. "We were planning to play Timmyball."

It was amazing. This was completely different than how her parents interacted with her. They didn't talk to her. They didn't ask her about her day or what she intended to do that day. Timmy's parents cared about him. They were interested in him. No wonder the boy thought her family would want to know where she was. His mother and father might actually worry if he disappeared.

"That's great because we're going to have a fun afternoon too," the man explained, indicating his wife. "And you get to enjoy yourself with your favorite babysitter while we're gone."

At that rather innocent-sounding statement, Timmy's eyes widened in horror and Chester and AJ sprinted away from the house with a quickly yelled "good-bye." Amanda couldn't quite understand why they would react this way. The boy's parents obviously loved him enough to spend their hard-earned money to ensure he was taken care of even while they weren't home. His family was wonderful and obviously wanted their son. No wonder he was such a generous person who would offer to be his friend; his life was so perfect that he couldn't help being so terrific too.

But she still didn't understand why Timmy now looked nervous and the other two boys had fled the scene. What was so wrong about babysitters?

"Hm," the mother remarked slowly. "I guess they had to go home."

The man shrugged, "I'm sure they just had some homework to take care of."

"Yeah, that's it. Homework," commented Timmy dryly.

"Well, I'm certain that you and…," the woman began, pausing as she looked at the girl in confusion.

"Amanda," the boy identified.

His mother continued, "I'm certain both of you will have a wonderful time with Vicky."

As the woman spoke, she opened the front door to reveal a tall, red-haired teen with a pack on her back. The evil gleam in her eyes and the malicious grin on her face was mildly concerning, but more disturbing was the abrupt appearance of storm clouds across the previously-clear sky. The flash of light and crash of thunder punctuated the older girl's name rather ominously.

"Anybody else notice the lightning?" Amanda asked quietly.

"Yeah, that kind of happens a lot with her," muttered Timmy dryly.

The teenager greeted with an obviously-fake sweet voice, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Turner. My, don't you look nice today. I can't wait to take care of your precious child." She patted the pink-hatted boy's head, though she seemed to be using far too much force if Timmy's expression was any indication. As the red-haired girl caught sight of Amanda, she asked, "And who might this be? If I'm watching two little angels today, I'm charging triple my usual rate."

"Run while you still can," hissed the brunette boy urgently.

Before Amanda could argue that she didn't want them to spend their hard-earned money on someone like her, the black-haired man stated, "She's not our child, but I can't say no to such a great bargain. You've got a deal."

"Have fun," Timmy's mother called as the adults headed for the door.

As soon as the parents vanished from sight, the sweet façade fell away. The teen's malicious grin intensified and the brunette boy was already backing away slowly.

"All right, the twerp already knows the rules, but you're new here," she growled. "This is how it works. You do whatever I say, you don't argue with me, and you don't bother me if I'm watching television. And you don't complain to your parents." She reached into her pack, "If you break those rules or I get bored, we get to have some 'special' fun." She yanked out a chainsaw and a flamethrower. "Got it?"

While surprising and a little concerning, Amanda didn't react too strongly to the display. It might be a tad extreme, but she was used to bullies. If she focused on not catching the teen's attention, Vicky might stop noticing her eventually.

"Twerp, clean the rain gutters and the toilets," the older girl ordered. "Twerpette, I'll start you off with hand-scrubbing the floor in the kitchen and see how that goes. I want to see my reflection when you're done. We'll try raking the leaves next if you get that finished. And if I can't hear my show over your cleaning, Mr. Flamethrower and I will have no choice except to have a very violent 'discussion' with you."

With a final glare at the two children, Vicky planted herself comfortably on the couch and picked up the remote.

* * *

Taking care of the rain gutters was probably a relatively dangerous task for an eleven year old boy if he didn't have assistance. Such a chore would normally require climbing a ladder and attempting to drag the collection of rotting leaves and filth out without falling from the height of a second-story house. Timmy, however, had a simpler and safer method to deal with the situation. Instead of risking his neck to follow Vicky's command, he simply waited a reasonable amount of time before quietly wishing for the rain gutter to be clean. The colorful 'birds' perched nearly took care of the rest.

While waiting outside for the estimated time it would take to do the chore manually, the brunette boy could catch glimpses of what was occurring inside through the window. While Vicky apparently didn't want to miss her show by going outside to check on his progress, she seemed to have fewer reservations about using the commercial breaks to swing into the kitchen for a little tormenting. So far, Timmy had seen Vicky 'accidentally' spill her soda on the clean section of the floor, tripped over the garbage can so that the contents tumbled out, and knocked over Amanda's bucket of water so she had to go refill. The teenager seemed frustrated by the girl's lack of reaction to her actions, though. The brunette girl kept her eyes locked on the ground and didn't seem to utter a sound even when Vicky was cackling over the mess.

"Okay, this is really not fair," the bucked-tooth boy muttered. "She's stuck here with Vicky, cleaning my house, and she doesn't make a peep about it. At least Chester and AJ know enough to escape when they have the chance. She wouldn't even run away from Francis and now she's dealing with the evilest babysitter in the universe."

"She should have run when you told her to," Cosmo remarked, ruffling the feathers of his green bird disguise.

"Poof poof poof," added the smaller purple disguised fairy.

Timmy stared at the window, the girl still scrubbing the floor stubbornly, before stating "I think that is long enough. I wish the gutters were clean."

The disguised fairies raised their wands and one _poof_ later, the annoying chore was complete. Unless she did something annoying like dumping in the contents of the trashcans that Amanda had refilled, Vicky should be satisfied.

"One unpleasant job down," he commented. "And one to go."

"And, unfortunately, the next one is inside and Vicky might keep a closer eye on you now," pointed out Wanda.

Knowing his godmother was right, the boy muttered, "I wonder if it would be worth it to give her a fish head again."

"Or you could try turning her into a mouse," suggested Cosmo. "It might be harder for her to use a chainsaw that way."

"Tempting," grinned Timmy, visualizing the possibility. "But that probably wouldn't even stop her. She'd probably try to torture kids or take over the world even as a mouse."

He slid into the kitchen, taking care not to track mud or something across the clean floor, and wandered over to Amanda. Even scrubbing the floor on her hands and knees, she was still wearing her backpack. The boy didn't blame her. Considering Vicky's habit of torching personal objects, it was probably rather smart to keep belongings close just in case.

"Sorry you got stuck here with _her_ ," he muttered. "Mom and Dad are just too oblivious to notice she's evil."

Amanda looked up at the pink-hatted boy, "It's all right. I don't mind too much."

Timmy glanced at the table, spotting there colorful flowers that materialized in a vase with a soft _poof_ , and commented, "There are certain things that make me glad she's around, but mostly she's a curse on all mankind. Ever heard the song 'Icky Vicky'?" When the brunette girl shook her head, he explained, "It's a song by Chip Skylark. He wrote it about her. And my parents _still_ don't understand she's evil."

"But they care enough about you to pay for a babysitter, even if they picked a mean one," she pointed out. "They want someone to take care of you, even if they aren't home."

"Yeah, but there are still days that I wis…," he started to remark before he halted in mid-word. The boy took a quick look towards the flora-disguised fairies. Watching how he phrased things could prevent accidental wishes. You could never tell when Cosmo might decide to take something literally. Carefully, he reworded, "There are still days I would have preferred that she never entered my life. Or at least I would like to get rid of her."

"Hey, twerp," growled Vicky, startling the pair. The teenager was looming in the doorway, apparently in the middle of a commercial. "I don't think you're finished yet. Move it. _Now_."

Knowing that any hesitation would result in the red-head breaking out her chainsaw, he boy ran for the bathroom. That toilet wasn't going to scrub itself. Unless he wished for it to, of course.

* * *

There was something really sticky under the table. Amanda didn't know what it was, probably something that was spilled and not cleaned up before it dried, but it was stubbornly refusing to come up regardless of how hard she scrubbed. The girl finally decided that she needed more cleaning products. Soap and water simply wasn't going to work. Unfortunately, she didn't know where the more effective cleaning stuff was kept.

Asking Vicky didn't seem like a good idea. Not only did the teenager seem to have a volatile personality, but she was also busy with her own concerns and didn't want to be disturbed. The child's normal reluctance to bother people kept her from going near the living room couch. But Timmy was her friend and this was his house, so he made the logical choice to ask about where the cleaning products were stored.

As she drew near the bathroom, however, Amanda could hear voices. One was obviously the pink-hatted boy's, but she didn't recognize the others.

"I still like my mouse idea," an unfamiliar male voice stated. "And you could wish up a lot of cheese for her. And for me."

"We're not turning Vicky into a rodent," a female scolded.

Timmy commented, "She's already enough of a pest without making it literal."

"Can I have some cheese anyway?" requested the strange male.

"Later," the female and Timmy answered in unison.

The brunette girl stood outside the room, not quite willing to make her presence known. As far as she knew, there was only her, Vicky, and Timmy in the household. Supposedly. But the boy was apparently talking to at least two other individuals.

"But if she tries to mess up the floor again, I might have to wish up that knock-out gas cell-phone," the boy muttered.

"Poof poof?" another voice, this one very young-sounding, asked in rather unintelligible words.

Timmy explained, "There's no reason why Amanda should be suffering from Vicky. She's only here because I invited her over. Knocking Vicky out would make things easier on everyone."

"Is it later now?" the male voice asked pleadingly.

"Fine," the boy sighed. "I wish Cosmo had some cheese."

From her location, she couldn't see what happened in the bathroom. She could hear a sound, however, that followed Timmy's words. There was a _poof_ and an excited cheer of triumph from the individual who requested the cheese.

Deciding that she should probably announce her presence, Amanda took a step towards the bathroom door and called, "Timmy."

By the time she could see inside, the other voices had stopped and the pink-hatted boy was scrubbing the toilet with a single-minded attitude that she doubted he'd been employing previously. A quick look around didn't immediately reveal anything important or out of place. But sitting on the counter was a wheel of cheese that obviously didn't belong. Resting next to the food was a pink toothbrush, a tube of green toothpaste, and a purple container of floss. Her mind abruptly recalled the prevalence of those three colors around Timmy, both for his belongings and from apparently random sources. This trend quickly connected to some of Mr. Crocker's statements and Norm's description of certain wish-granting, shape-shifting magical creatures. If she was right, it would certainly explain where that flock of angry birds that attacked Francis came from.

"Do you need something?" the brunette boy asked uneasily, his eyes glancing towards the colorful items briefly.

"Could you tell me where the cleaning products are?" requested Amanda, giving no indication about her suspicions.

Relaxing slightly, he nodded, "Sure. No problem."


	9. Meetings

By the time he decided it was time to head back to Dimmsdale, the entire population and landscape of Canada was in a rather pathetic state. Every frustration, every annoying obstacle that kept seeming to get in the way of his vengeance, had been thoroughly vented against the entire country. If Turner actually watched the news beyond occasionally viewing his own chaotic influence on the world, he might wonder about the strange occurrences that were now plaguing Canada. But Norm doubted the self-centered boy would care and there was certainly something about causing extreme molting to all Canadian geese that helped improve his mood.

The slight reduction in his frustration was promptly undone, however. Amanda's room was empty of all life. The absence of the lava lamp from the night stand, or even from the house, proved better than anything else that she wasn't home. It took less than a second to guess that she was with Turner. School was out at this hour and her parents definitely wouldn't take her anywhere. She had to be with the bucked-tooth loser. The idea was certainly causing some conflicting emotion. While it was rather nice to have the kid having some friends, it was completely infuriating that she ended up with _him_.

Before he could brood any longer about the difficulties concerning his desire for revenge, the genie noticed that the lamp was approaching. He could sense it drawing near, which meant the girl carrying the lava lamp was arriving home. Regardless of his previous annoyance, that the tiny fact produced a slight smile from the cynical individual.

The girl, once she finally entered her room, looked rather tired. She was slumped over and barely dragging her feet. As soon as she spotted Norm, however, she abruptly looked guilty.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you wait. Timmy invited me to his house and I didn't know you'd be here," Amanda explained hurriedly. It was as if she didn't think she had the right to do anything, to be happy, or have fun with a friend. The genie had no doubts that, if her parents actually noticed her absence, she would be equally apologetic and uneasy. "If I did, I would have tried to let you know. I didn't mean to make you waste your time waiting or anything."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not your father. You don't have to check in with me if you want to hang out with someone," he commented with forced casualness. "Besides, I haven't been here too long." Watching the child tiredly slide her backpack off and pull out the lava lamp with stiff movements, the magical creature asked, "Rough day?"

"Timmy had a babysitter and she had us do some cleaning," Amanda explained. "It took a little longer to scrub the floor than I expected." Her eyes dropped to the floor, "She's apparently a little clumsy. Vicky kept spilling stuff or knocking them over."

Amanda was making excuses. The babysitter was causing problems on purpose. The brunette child knew it, but she didn't want to say it. She didn't think it was important that Vicky was purposefully causing her suffering and she was making excuses just as she would for her parents' neglect. Norm briefly wondered if adding the babysitter to his revenge list would be a good idea, but ultimately decided to wait before including this particular human until he actually saw her with his own eyes.

"Anything else interesting happen?" Norm asked, watching her set the lava lamp on the night stand and pick up her teddy bear from the bed.

She shrugged, "Maybe. I met Mr. Crocker and he's kind of odd."

"That's… one way to put it."

"But, between what he said and what you said and some other stuff that happened…," remarked the girl, trailing off a little. "Um, I don't know if you know or not, but I was wondering… Norm, does Timmy have fairy godparents?"

The genie blinked in surprise. He knew the girl was bright, but Turner was supposed to be at least semi-competent at concealing his fairies. It took Amanda about a day to notice. If she hadn't made her wish, the boy would be in serious trouble and his godparents would be gone. Of course, if she discovered Turner's secret so easily, it was quite possible that she might eventually realize that the genie was also keeping secrets from her. He needed to be very careful.

Knowing that she would want an answer, Norm nodded, "Yeah, he has fairies. When I last dealt with him, he had two of them. But now, I think there might be three."

"I was right."

"Yeah, you figured it out in one day something that no one in this town except that crackpot Crocker even suspected. When kids are smarter than the adults, you know there's something wrong with the species," he stated.

"So, I probably shouldn't let Timmy know that I know about his godparents," Amanda commented slowly. "If it is supposed to be a secret, he'd be upset about someone find out."

"That would be an understatement, kid," confirmed Norm. "And you'd probably have to explain about your wish since the boy would go into panic mode over the idea of losing his fairies. Since we need to avoid mentioning me to Turner, the best idea would likely be for you not to mention the wand-waving freaks."

She nodded, "Okay."

After a few moments of silence, the genie decided to turn the conversation to a new topic. He refused to let his entire life revolve around that bucked-tooth idiot. Turner wasn't worth it.

"Hey, ever wonder why I live in a lava lamp when all the genies in the book I loaned you has them living in oil lamps and bottles?" he asked casually.

The girl, obviously recognizing that an interesting story was on was my the way, sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at him eagerly, "Because you're special and awesome?"

"Well, that goes without saying, but that's not why." He crossed his arms and smirked, "There's a guy at your school, a teacher, named Mr. Birkenbake. That guy was my master in the seventies. I was living in an old oil lamp that he found in the attic of his new house. First thing he wished for was for the lamp to be something more 'far-out and groovy' than the old relic I was living in. Since lava lamps were fairly popular at the time and I wanted an excuse to redecorate anyway, that's what I went with."

"But in all the stories, isn't the third wish supposed to undo everything?" Amanda asked. "Why didn't your lamp go back to normal?"

"Well, there was an event involving disco that evening," he explained, neglecting to mention that said event was the result of the second wish being horribly twisted. "The guy wished to not remember that entire day for his third wish rather than the usual one that we never met. Thus, he ends up with a lava lamp and no memory of where he got it." But everyone else still remembered and teased him about the disco contest. Again, Norm left that detail out of the story. "I was stuck there until the man decided to have a garage sale thirty years later. At least he kept the lamp in the living room for quite a while, so I could watch television some."

"You were stuck in there all that time?" asked the child, sounding upset about the idea.

"Kid, I'm over fifty thousand years old. Three decades isn't all that much in comparison," he commented, hoping she wouldn't get too worked up about the idea. He wasn't happy about the whole situation, but he would rather act like he didn't care than trying to deal with too much empathy from the child tonight. "There have been centuries between masters at times. It makes you appreciate being out of the lamp, but thirty years aren't as big a deal for genies as it is for humans."

Amanda nodded thoughtfully, her eyes beginning to droop tiredly. The girl was quite likely going to fall asleep soon. He snapped his fingers, producing a grilled cheese sandwich with a _gong_. She took a bite of the impromptu dinner as the genie pondered over a few vague plans he'd been considering lately in regards to his revenge.

"Thank you, Norm," she mumbled

"I was too tired to order a pizza anyway," he replied quickly, _gonging_ up his own sandwich.

* * *

Normally, the members of these two groups would have nothing to do with each other. Their ultimate goals were practically opposites. But recently, they had been more willing to deal with each other. They might unite temporarily in order to gain control of power source of magic, namely the infant fairy, but this was more organized rather than a spur of the moment partnership. They had come to the conclusion that neither of their plans would ever come to fruition because of a single obstacle that both groups shared. That single problem was what currently united them.

Timothy Turner. The bucked-tooth, pink-hatted child who kept unraveling the plans of his enemies, even though his opponents were both smarter and older than him. It was infuriating and they refused to allow this trend to continue. While it would have been nice to turn the boy to their side, to use his cleverness and adaptability for spreading chaos across the globe, he was slowly accepting that his counterpart's godchild would never be his. The boy would always be an obstacle. This was why the two species were now sitting at a long table in the dark castle.

"I would like to thank you all for coming," remarked a blue-skinned individual in a cultured British accent. He adjusted his monocle carefully before giving a rather confident smile, "I am quite certain that, by uniting the greatest minds of both pixies and anti-fairies, we shall be able to devise an appropriate method to remove Turner from being an obstacle in the future."

"Without him, we would have taken over Fairy World already," a dull monotone announced. Dressed in grey, he was the only one on his side of the table who wasn't completely identical. Rather than black-hair and shades, he wore normal glasses and the little hair visible was white. Mostly, though, he appeared to be bald beneath the hat on his pointy head. His visual difference to his companions was a sign of his authority. Without a sign of emotion, the pixie explained, "We have charts to confirm that his presence has drastically reduced our productivity. I can have Sanderson show you if you would like."

"That won't be necessary, HP," the anti-fairy responded. He wasn't particularly fond of his new allies, but he could still display a certain level of civility since the head pixie shared the same common goal of Turner's demise. Of course, he also tended to demonstrate proper manners and protocol even with his enemies. After all, just because you wish to spread mischief and chaos all over the world is no reason why one should act completely uncivilized. "We know that he is a problem. We know that, as long as he's around, neither of our goals will come to fruition. The only question is how we shall rectify this situation."

He gazed down his side of the table, waiting to see how the bat-winged, blue-skinned, bad-luck-causing creatures would respond. The pixies were a thoroughly unimaginative lot with HP having the most initiative. If there was going to be a new idea put forth, it would come from the anti-fairies.

"We could get a giant elephant and have it step on him," a voice piped up.

He smacked his hand against his face. That was the type of answer he would expect from his moronic fairy counterpart, Cosmo. Because he was as brilliant as his opposite was stupid, the anti-fairy could truly appreciate the sheer inanity of the suggestion. He needed smarter followers.

A monotone pixie commented, "Most of Turner's advantages in our encounters are his access to magic through his fairy godparents and god-brother and his knowledge of magic and magical creatures. Both of these advantages are temporary. Would it not be more logical to simply wait until the child loses his access to magic and his memories? Without those two traits, he will be unable to interfere in our plans. In fact, he would be oblivious to our existence."

"But the point isn't to simply have the child forget. We must defeat the boy, just as he has beaten us in the past," explained Anti-Cosmo. "Out-waiting him will simply remove all satisfaction. We must strike out against him and exploit any weakness he might possess, but he also must be able to remember who is causing his downfall. To call it a true victory, Turner must know that he has lost."

His wife suggested quickly, "We could always send him a note if he doesn't know."

The brilliant anti-fairy resisted the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation of Anti-Wanda's words. As idiotic she might act or sound, he truly did love her. On the rare occasion where he contemplated the strangeness of their partnership, he couldn't help drawing comparisons to their fairy counterparts. Just how far did the reflective nature of fairies and anti-fairies go? The conundrum was nearly as perplexing as the entire question about whether the egg came before the chicken or vice versa. Was he and his wife married simply because Cosmo and Wanda were? Or were the fairies together because Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda were? He never truly examined the different relationships of magical creatures, so he didn't know if all anti-fairies had the same partners as their fairy counterpart. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence that he loved Anti-Wanda as much as Wanda loved her husband. Perhaps both relationships worked because of the similar group dynamics produced by involving an idiot and a smarter individual who loved them regardless. In the end, it didn't truly matter. His wife may not be the brightest, but he still cared about her dearly.

"We either need a way to reduce his access to magic or to increase our own," summarized one of the pixies that had been identified as Sanderson. How HP could tell the difference between the identical beings, he would never know. "By changing the margin between our capabilities and his, we shall increase the likelihood of our success."

"Like when we tried to steal that cute baby fairy," reminded Anti-Wanda, for once providing a comment that was actually relevant to the conversation.

"Exactly, dearest," the anti-fairy remarked. "The infant was a large source of unshaped magical potential. It would have been nice to possess, but he's been influenced by his parents and young Timothy by now. So that particular avenue is no longer viable, but we are at least on the right track."

"Should there not be an anti-fairy to match him?" asked HP. "Could we not use him against Turner?"

Anti-Cosmo glared at the pixie, "No. He's proven to be less than willing to work with others and only focuses on his own, narrow goals."

To say his son, Foop, was a disappointment would be an understatement. He'd had such high hopes for the square-shaped infant. They even gave him a name to make him unique among his kind, rather than simply calling him Anti-Poof. Aspirations of destruction and mayhem created as a united family had fluttered through Anti-Cosmo's mind like a demented bat. But, even if the young anti-fairy was as eloquent with his words as his father and clearly had the right attitude for chaos, Foop did not wish to work with his family towards a common goal. In fact, he demonstrated swiftly that he had not even the most basic type of loyalty to his species or his family. He would do whatever was required, even working against those closest to him, in order to fulfill his vendetta against Poof. If he'd been anyone besides Anti-Cosmo's son, the young anti-fairy would have suffered greatly for his behavior. But the intelligent individual still had at least some parental connection to square infant. Perhaps he would mature and become more receptive to working with his family as he aged. For now, however, Foop was more likely to be more trouble than help if they tried to get him involved.

"If we cannot increase our capability for magic, then can we restrict the boy'?" asked Sanderson. "Some loophole or special circumstance we might use against him?"

"Perhaps," Anti-Cosmo muttered thoughtfully. An idea began to creep around the back of his head, like some dark predator grinning in the night. He knew quite a bit about fairies and their vulnerabilities. Anti-fairies did share at least some of them. But there was at least one specific action that the species performed that might offer a narrow window of opportunity they could use. "Perhaps there is a way… But we shall have to wait until the time arrives. It will be a period where Turner and his fairies are at their most vulnerable. He won't be able to wish his way out of trouble."

"When will this opportunity occur? HP asked, his monotone voice gaining just a hint of interest.

"Soon enough, my business associates. Our little problem will be taken care of before the end of the year. He'll be left helpless and without any magic. And, best of all, we don't have to do a thing except wait for those fools to willingly cause this vulnerability," remarked the anti-fairy, grinning rather cruelly at the idea skulking about his head. "It is an event that happens every year and leaves them powerless for a full day."

* * *

After knowing the girl about a week, Timmy was willing to admit that Amanda wasn't too bad. She was younger than him and she certainly was quiet, but she was certainly different than most girls. She wasn't as overwhelming and clingy as Tootie, but she was also wasn't as unapproachable and practically unobtainable as Trixie. Perhaps AJ's assessment was correct and she was simply too young to truly be considered a "girl." Regardless, even after her encounter with Vicky, she hadn't been discouraged from wanting to spend some time with him and Timmy didn't actually mind her hanging around.

The weekend was quickly approaching and the brunette boy had already determined that his usual friends wouldn't be available to hang out with. Furthermore, examining a long list of more magical activities had failed to spark his interest. Wish burnout was a rare occurrence, but it was bound to happen every now and then considering the sheer number of magic-related events he took part in. Timmy knew from experience that he'd be back to wishing for mind-blowing experiences in a couple of days, but for time being he was eager for more mundane pastimes.

"All right, where is she?" he muttered, scanning the crowd of weekend-eager students.

The watch-disguised Cosmo suggested, "Maybe she's avoiding you."

"No way," the boy responded quietly. "Amanda wouldn't do that."

"Why not? Every other girl, besides Tootie, tries to avoid you," his godfather reminded. "Maybe she finally figured out she's supposed to do that too. It might even be a rule. There could be a whole rule book for girls and that could be one of them."

Wanda, disguised as the notebook in the boy's hand, glared at her husband, "Cosmo, you're an idiot."

"What?" the watch-disguised fairy asked, genuinely confused by his wife's response.

Spotting a familiar teal bow, Timmy called, "Amanda. Wait up."

The girl froze at his voice and turned towards him. There was a small smile on her face, even if it was still a little bit hesitant. It was as if she always expected the worst. Or at least, she didn't expect to be happy for very long.

"Hi, Timmy," she greeted once he neared the girl. She shifted her grip on her backpack strap. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you want to do something this afternoon," the boy explained.

Amanda blinked in surprise, "You want to do something with me? Like what?"

Timmy shrugged, "I don't know. When I dragged you to my house, it didn't really work out according to plan."

"You can say that again," chuckled Cosmo before his wife shushed him urgently.

For a second, the boy was afraid that the brunette girl had heard the green-haired fairy. Her eyes briefly flickered towards his wrist, but she gave no further reaction. Apparently she either missed the voice after all or she simply dismissed the notion of talking inanimate objects.

Continuing, Timmy remarked, "So, since my house was the ultimate Vicky-style nightmare last time, we could try your house. What do you think?"

"You… you want to… My house?" whispered Amanda.

"Yes," he confirmed, wondering about the weird mixture of expressions that were currently on her face. She looked at least a little excited about the idea, but mostly she seemed shocked and nervous by his suggestion. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Amanda hesitated, her eyes dropping down to the ground and she as biting her bottom lip. For a moment, Timmy was certain she would reject his idea. If she did, he would have happily offered to let her pick the location. Eventually, the girl looked up and nodded.

"If you really want to come over… I guess it would be okay. I mean, I don't mind and if you want to do that…"

"Great," interrupted the boy. "Then we better get on the bus."

The pink-hatted individual grabbed her arm and yanked the girl towards the nearly-full vehicle. He heard a certain purple sticker on the pink notebook give an excited giggle at the idea of going somewhere new, but Amanda didn't seem to react to Poof anymore than she did to Cosmo.

* * *

The girl really didn't know how to react as she led Timmy into her house. It was thrilling and certainly wonderful that he wanted to come over. That had to prove that he was enjoying her friendship, right? It was his idea to come over. On the surface, it should be a good thing.

But doubt still loomed in her mind. What if he didn't have a good time? Vicky had kept them too busy that day for any real fun, but Amanda had seen an impressive collection of toys, board games, video games, and other fun activities in the boy's room. Her own meager supply of belongings couldn't compare. Not that she didn't appreciate what she did have. Most of them were from Grandma or occasionally second-hand stores when her parents were kind enough to spend their hard-earned money on her. She didn't deserve to have such things anyway, but Timmy would probably think that the small collection was evidence that she wasn't worthy of anything, including his friendship. If he didn't have fun with her, he might never want to see her again. Considering how long it took to gain a friend in the first place, Amanda was afraid of losing him and yet she also accepted the likelihood of that occurring.

"Wow, everything is so… white and… shiny," he commented slowly, glancing around the living room. "And really, really clean."

Amanda nodded nervously, "My parents like it. It's supposed to be professional and nice-looking."

"Cool," remarked the boy quickly. "What do you want to do? Do you have any games or something fun to do? If you have a ball, I can still try teaching you how to play Timmyball. Or we could try something else. But not dolls. I draw the line at playing with dolls."

"My room is in there," she pointed. "If you want to wait in there, I'll be right back and we can figure out something. If you want."

Timmy shrugged and headed straight towards the door she'd indicated. Her friend currently distracted, she scurried towards the bathroom while digging into her backpack. The second problem with having he boy at her house was that it could result in Timmy and Norm bumping into each other. The genie tended to pop in without warning. She needed to warn him just in case.

* * *

Grinning at a rather attractive blue-haired genie, Norm wondered if he would be lucky this time. Last time he tried getting close to this particular female, Crystal, was back before the Black Plague. Unfortunately, she'd been called away by her master due to some type of "bear wish" emergency before he managed to do more than suggest they go somewhere more isolated. This time, Norm was hoping they would be able to finish their dinner and maybe even head back to her bottle before Crystal got called away again.

Leaning back slightly in his chair, he tried to enjoy the nice table and dinner that was currently floating near the Great Wall of China. She was a very pretty genie, the meal was delicious, and he could tell from the flirty glances that she was directing towards him that she was also hoping her master didn't interrupt them for quite some time.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked. "I want to make sure that you have… _fun_ , after all."

She smiled slightly, "Yes, the view is especially spectacular.

"Even humans can create something rather impressive if you give them enough time. Or if they're especially lucky."

"Their little rock wall thing wasn't the view I was talking about," Crystal corrected coyly. "I was talking more about the company." She took another bit of the rice on her plate before continuing, "I'm so happy that you decided to look me up, Norm. I'm just sorry our last date was interrupted so rudely."

Shrugging slightly, he reminded, "It couldn't be helped. But we're alone now." He leaned forward a little and peered over his shades at her, "Perhaps we should enjoy ourselves before something happens to disrupt out plans again."

"I think I would like that," Crystal responded.

Considering the kind of luck he'd been experiencing lately, he should have known that something would happen. In fact, the genie had been half-expecting the date to end prematurely since the start. There was a reason that stable couples, let alone married couples, were a rather rare phenomenon for his species. When a date could be interrupted any second by a greedy and impatient master and the second try might not be for centuries, forming any type of relationship was a challenge. That was why there weren't really any families or genie kids wandering around. Only freed genies tended to be able to make that sort of attempt. On the other hand, it did make it easier to have a more casual outlook to dating that Norm preferred since none of the girls expected him to stick around anyway.

Still, it was truly annoying whenever he couldn't get very far with whichever lovely genie before something interrupted. For a moment, he was certain that Crystal had been summoned back by her master yet again. Then, Norm realized that he was no longer floating above the Great Wall of China. Instead, he was in a very bright, very white bathroom and Amanda was staring at him uneasily with the lava lamp in her grip. The genie realized that she must have rubbed the lamp to bring him. She never did that; the girl never did anything that could be considered an inconvience to him and the fact she'd summoned him indicated that something rather serious was going on. That fact started setting off alarm bells in his head.

"Everything okay, kid?" he asked in a carefully controlled and calm tone, though perhaps a little more quickly than needed.

"Yes, sort of," she mumbled slowly.

"Then what's going on? Why are we meeting here? Wanted to show off the fancy towels?"

"No," the girl shook her head. "I wanted to warn you. Timmy wanted to come over to my house today. I didn't want you to accidentally run into him if you showed up in the room later."

Norm blinked, all thoughts of Crystal and the interrupted date evaporating. Timmy, and undoubtedly his fairies, was in the house. It would have been far too easy for the exact scenario Amanda was describing, the genie simply appearing in front of the boy because he was not expecting his presence, to have occurred. If things hadn't gone as planned with the date, he'd have likely popped in to check on the girl and everything would have gone downhill from there. Of course, she didn't _know_ what the full implications of such an event would be, but the warning had ensured that the disaster was prevented. But it also showed how difficult keeping everything separate truly was becoming. If a single mistake or change of pace occurred, everything could unravel. But he didn't intend to let that happen. He could make it work.

Quietly, he commented, "Thank you for telling me. That could have turned out to be a rather… uncomfortable encounter." Trying to adopt a slight smile to reassure the child, he remarked, "I'll get out of here then. Try to stay out of trouble, kid."

Already sliding the lava lamp out of sight into her backpack, she mumbled, "I will."

Not wanting to risk being detected by remaining any longer, the genie snapped his fingers and vanished with a soft _gong_. Perhaps he could salvage the rest of the date. Surely he could manage to be lucky enough to actually have Crystal still be there waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't expect Crystal to have a large role. She's a little like Tanda. She's a character who served a role, but she is in no way a major character.


	10. Checkers

Timmy didn't know exactly what he expected. Judging from the rest of the house, he'd assumed it would be something like AJ or Trixie's rooms. Well, if the lab components were removed. He also wouldn't be surprised to see something similar to Tootie's room, minus any destruction due to Vicky. Essentially, if he was going to expect anything, it would be something that was at least as expensive as the rest of the house and maybe pink. Pink was the typical color for imaging anything related to girls, even if he also had an affinity with the shade.

Amanda's room, however, didn't quite match his vague ideas. Compared to the rest of the expensive-looking and professionally-decorated household, it seemed rather empty and plain. The place was mostly a boring tan with a purple bedspread as the only real source of color. There was no television or computer. There was very few toys visible, most of them apparently rather old and worn out. His concerns about playing dolls were obviously not going to come to pass since the girl didn't seem to own any. Most of the personality of the space seemed to be as withdrawn and muted as the shy girl that lived here.

"Well, this isn't very exciting," remarked Cosmo, switching out of his disguise since they were alone.

"It _is_ kind of empty," Timmy agreed.

Wanda, joining her husband floating in the middle of the room pointed out, "Not everyone has fairy godparents to _poof_ up their every desire, you know."

"But you saw the rest of the house. Her parents have plenty of money," he explained, walking around the room. "This place should have _something_." He started poking around her closet and under her bed, "Dolls. Clothes. Comics. _Something_. It doesn't make sense. No one has a room this empty. AJ has his lab. Chester has those possums. Tootie has her stuffed animals and dolls. Vicky has her torture devices. Trixie has her make-up and hidden stash of comics. Mr. Crocker has his 'evidence' of fairies all across the walls. Everyone else has a room that says something about their personality and their interests. They have stuff that makes them happy and they have fun doing. Amanda's room is… too boring."

"Maybe her personality is just boring," suggested the boy's godfather helpfully. When Wanda glared at him, Cosmo blinked and asked, "What? What'd I say?"

Poof abruptly laughed cheerfully and appeared next to the girl's bed. The infant had apparently spotted the teddy bear resting against the pillow and liked it. The young fairy picked up the toy and began to hug it tightly.

"Put it back, Poof," Timmy requested. "That isn't yours and Amanda will probably be back soon."

"No," stated the infant, hugging the toy closer.

Wanda floated over to her baby and urged, "Poof, come on. Put it back."

"I'll wish you up a teddy bear just like it when we get home," the boy promised his god-brother. "Just put her toy back."

"Poof poof," he sighed, finally relinquishing his grip.

The young fairy let go just as the door began to open. The three floating figures vanished in a _poof_. The brunette girl slipped in, looking a little nervous. Timmy quickly smiled innocently at her, trying to give the impression he hadn't just been rummaging around through her stuff and essentially snooping.

"Hey, there you are," he commented slowly. "So… what do you want to do?"

Amanda didn't immediately answer, glancing around the room uneasily. Finally, her gaze fell on a rather meager collection of board games. Hesitantly, the girl walked over and pulled one out.

"Do you want to play checkers?"

* * *

There was something about this situation that she didn't like. Wanda was rather efficient at spotting impending disaster or noticing a fatal flaw in a plan. This habit of identifying problems before they became obvious might lead her to being referred to as a "nag," but her highly-developed maternal instinct and intuition was right more often than not. And right now, she knew there was something that was making her uneasy and protective. She didn't know what was wrong or who she was supposed to be protecting, but that didn't stop the fairy from experiencing the sensation of unease.

Currently, she and her family were disguised as some decorative pins on Timmy's backpack. From their position, Wanda could easily observe the game and ponder about her difficult-to-identify concerns. It wasn't so much that she was suspicious of any real threat from the girl who was currently taking one of her godchild's pieces. Amanda seemed like a rather sweet and lonely kid and the fairy was rather proud of Timmy for extending his friendship to her. Something about her nearly empty room, her difficulty with meeting anyone's gaze, and how she barely reacted to both Francis's bullying and Vicky's tormenting made Wanda want to pat the child on the back and tell her it was going to be all right. That could at least be part of the protective instinct the godmother was experiencing. The entire fairy species had the basic trait of being caring about children; it was why they became godparents.

But it wasn't the entire cause. Even if Wanda felt some maternal instinctive urge towards the shy child, most of her protective reactions tended to center on Cosmo, Poof, and Timmy. And the unexplained apprehension made her nervous about their safety. There was something familiar and worrying that she couldn't quite name. There wasn't anything wrong with the girl, but there was some invisible force that seemed to linger around her that left the fairy anxious. It vaguely reminded her of how Timmy, and those closest to him, now had traces of magic from prolonged exposure to Cosmo, Poof, and her. But it wasn't fairy magic that she was barely detecting around the girl. She couldn't even be certain it _was_ magic that she was picking up on. All Wanda could say for certain was that there was a secret surrounding Amanda and it could be very bad for her family. Of course, she might be blowing the entire situation out of proportions, but she would feel better if she could know for certain.

Even though she knew Timmy's first choice wouldn't be to play checkers all afternoon, the disguised fairy could see that the boy was getting into the game. His desire to win was causing the pink-hatted child to concentrate on his red game pieces as intently as he would his Crash Nebula video game. With a look of triumph, Timmy took one of the girl's pieces off the board.

"Beat that," he challenged.

With a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, Amanda jumped two of his pieces and remarked, "King me."

Wanda watched her godchild blink in surprise, glancing at the board in an attempt to figure out how the brunette girl made her move, before grinning back.

"Okay, but I'll still win."

As much faith as she had in the boy and his ability to gain a victory in even the most dire of circumstances, even Wanda had her doubts about his chances of success. At the moment, Timmy was trying to use his remaining three pieces to beat the nine pieces that the girl still possessed.

* * *

Checkers, while not as difficult as chess, were clearly not his game. Amanda had captured the last of his red game pieces, destroying any chance of victory for the boy. But he didn't mind too much. He could always try beating her on video games at his house another day. If their next challenge was one he was more familiar and experienced with, he could probably win.

"That was fun," he commented. "What do you want to do now? Play again or try something new?"

The girl seemed to consider the idea for a moment before suggesting, "Do you want a snack? I can get you something to eat if you want."

Timmy, not having any better ideas and feeling a little hungry, nodded in response. The girl smiled a little and stood up, adjusting her backpack to a more comfortable position. Why she was still wearing the thing in her own house, the boy didn't know. Mostly, he decided to just go with it. Everyone had their quirks. At least hers didn't seem to be too dangerous or weird.

The brunette girl lead him back towards the living room, which was still rather fancy and contrasted sharply with the girl's more humble room. This time, his eyes were drawn towards some type of shiny metal object sitting on the glass coffee table. It was vaguely human-shaped and made of some type of reflective chrome that was practically mirror-like. Timmy knew that, if Cosmo wasn't currently disguised as a pin on his backpack, the green-haired fairy would want to poke it. The boy could understand the impulse; what kind of people used such weird, expensive, and shiny knickknacks to decorate the place. It wasn't even that good-looking. It was actually a little creepy, but the shininess made it difficult to look away. Maybe he'd been spending too much time around Cosmo. Plus, the reflective surface worked a lot like a funhouse mirror and at the right angle it made his teeth look normal sized.

"Your parents have weird taste," Timmy remarked, poking the metal thing gently.

"Please don't…," began Amanda urgently, but the front door opened before she could finish.

A brunette woman, clearly the girl's mother, walked into the room while continuing to speak into her cell phone with barely a glance towards the children. She wore a business suit and gave every impression of being a working professional. She was halfway across the room before the adult even paused.

"Hang on, Mr. Jacobson. I have to take care of something," the woman stated before putting her cell on hold. Then, she looked at Timmy and asked, "Why is there a strange child in my home and leaving grimy fingerprints everywhere?"

"Sorry, it's my fault," mumbled Amanda quickly, her eyes instantly dropping to the ground and her turtleneck was tugged higher up. "I'm sorry. He's… my friend from school. I'll clean up. I'm sorry."

The boy wanted to point out that he'd barely touched the weird statue, but he managed to avoid his immediate reaction. The brunette girl seemed to think she was in trouble with her parent. He didn't want to make things worse.

Amanda's mother glanced briefly at the girl, her expression seemingly confused by her daughter's presence, before complaining, "We did not buy this house in order to let untold numbers of troublesome children rampage through the place, getting in the way and causing problems. I don't need this. I don't have the time to deal with another child in the household, especially one I don't _have_ to." She picked up a stack of papers from the table and began heading towards the door, muttering under her breath, "I'm going to be late now and I really don't want to deal with this headache."

"I'm sorry," the girl repeated, seeming to shrink down further.

The woman, not reacting to her daughter's words and barely seeming to acknowledge the continued presence of the two children, pulled back out her phone and restarted her earlier conversation, "I'm back. Sorry, but the girl was wasting my time again. I have the documents with me and it looks like…"

Timmy lost track of the rest of the adult's discussion as she left through the front door. It wasn't like he was interested in what she saying anyway. The woman was, as far as the boy was concerned, not worth his time.

Amanda, however, did deserve his attention. The brunette girl was practically hiding in her turtleneck again and her eyes hadn't left the ground since her parent arrived. She was wearing the exact same resigned and hopeless expression across her face that she'd adopted when Francis confronted her. It was a little depressing to see a child reacting the same way to her parent as she did to a bully.

"You okay?" the pink-hatted boy asked carefully.

"I shouldn't have done it," she mumbled. "I'm not supposed to get in the way or waste their time." Her voice was so low that he couldn't be certain if the girl was actually addressing him with her statements. "They're busy people with busy lives. I shouldn't bother them. I'm not supposed to be a burden."

Timmy, getting a little concern with the tone of voice and the words coming out of her mouth, quickly pointed out, "Hey, it was my idea to come over. I didn't mean to get you in trouble or anything, but this isn't your fault. And it took your mom like thirty seconds to complain, so it didn't really waste much of her time. She's overreacting."

"I _can't_ waste their time," Amanda stated firmly, sounding like it was absolutely vital. "I can't do that, Timmy. I have to stay out of their way, I can't bother them, and I can't be a burden. They are busy people with busy lives and they don't want anyone to interfere with that."

"Calm down," he urged. "Don't worry."

"Poor kid," murmured Wanda from her disguised position on his backpack.

Trying to devise a way to deal with the obvious distress that Amanda was suffering, the boy asked, "How about I help you clean up whatever the problem is? And we'll just go to my house next time. Vicky isn't there all the time. Tomorrow should be safe."

"You… still want… No, I can clean up. But… if you still want to… tomorrow? Really?" she whispered slowly.

"Sure," Timmy nodded, seeing a little of her tension fading. "How about two o'clock in the afternoon? It'll give me time to make certain that there are no evil babysitters involved."

Meeting his eyes for just a moment, Amanda hesitantly responded, "Okay. Thank you."

He could tell that it was probably time for him to leave. As soon as he headed out, waving at the girl right before slipping out the door, a trio of colorful felines appeared on the lawn. While most people would neither notice nor care about the expression on a cat's face, Timmy could see that his godparents were equally concerned by what just transpired.

"Please tell me if I'm missing anything so far," the bucked-tooth boy requested. "Amanda lacks the survival instinct to run from bullies. She points out that the fact I have a babysitter at all, even if it _is_ Vicky, is a sign that my parents love me." Each statement was marked off on his fingers as he walked down the sidewalk with the disguised fairies. "Before she met me, she claims she never had any friends, which is something not even Elmer can say. Her house is full of expensive junk, but her room is practically empty in comparison. She freaks out about 'wasting her parent's time or getting in the way,' which her mom even complains about in front of Amanda." He paused a moment, mentally adding all these depressing factors up before remarking, "And yet, despite all of that, there is no sign of weirdly-colored birds, ferrets, hamsters, or fish in that household. Is there something wrong with this picture?"

Timmy knew that they couldn't just tell him if a kid had fairies. He was supposed to figure it out on his own, though they could confirm or deny his suspicions. But everything he knew about how the godparents were assigned to a child suggested that either Amanda should have one or she'd already lost a fairy. Remy had parents who never spent time with him. Crocker, when he was a kid, had a busy mother and an evil babysitter. And he certainly knew why he was considered miserable. If they qualified to have fairies, then surely Amanda had earned that same right. And yet, there was no real evidence that the girl had any godparents.

"Sorry, Sport, I don't know what to tell you," Wanda remarked. "I could double-check the records back in Fairy World, but as far as I know, she's not anyone's godchild and never has been one."

"Maybe she needs a banjo," suggested the green cat. "It worked for Chester. Temporarily."

The boy frowned thoughtfully as he contemplated possible explanations, "Well, Tootie isn't usually miserable enough to qualify, even if she does live with Vicky. Not to mention that keeping a secret isn't her strong point since Tootie can't help announcing her love for me in the most annoying and noticeable fashion. So, even with all those rather depressing parts of her life, Amanda is either not quite miserable enough for a fairy godparent or she's too big a risk concerning secrecy. Thus, no fairies."

"That would be my guess," the pink feline nodded. "From what I've seen so far, she certainly deserves them."

He really shouldn't feel guilty. None of this was his fault. But if he considered how much he had to be thankful for and how she didn't seem to have the same opportunity when she had every right to have godparents, it didn't seem fair.

"Maybe we should point her out to Jorgen some time," Cosmo proposed.

"No way," answered Timmy quickly. "He might volunteer to do the job himself. One day of his extreme wishes would probably kill Amanda." He shook his head at the memories of his own experience with the extremely-muscular fairy and his ideas of fun. "So what do we do? Ignore it and pretend it is none of our business? Try a few subtle wishes to improve stuff? Loan you guys to her some time?"

"I don't know," Wanda remarked. "There are no easy answers. We're supposed to help those children who need us, but some still slip through the cracks for one reason or another. You don't have to make any major decisions now, but I think you're already making things better for her by simply being a friend."

"I thought she was a 'trial-basis back-up friend'," corrected the green feline.

Timmy considered for a moment before stating, "I think I'm going to knock off the 'trial-basis' part."

* * *

While he'd originally been rather concerned by how close he could have come to being exposed due to Turner being at Amanda's house, Norm was currently in a rather good mood. Crystal had not been too disturbed by his abrupt departure and there had been no further interruption for the rest of the night. He'd left early that morning to pick up a bagel for breakfast, but he was quite certain that she'd be happy to see him again in the future.

 _Gonging_ into the girl's house, he knew that Amanda would already be cleaning and her parents would be gone. Saturdays were fairly predictable. Thus, he felt confident appearing in the middle of the living room with his breakfast.

Spotting the brunette child cleaning the glass coffee table, her head down as she focused on her work, the genie called to her cheerfully, "Hey, kid. Have a good time?"

"Kind of," Amanda responded hesitantly, never even pausing with her chore. "We played checkers and I won."

"Always knew you were smarter than Turner."

"But then… Mom came home to pick up some papers."

Norm cringed in sympathy for the girl. He didn't know what might have happened. He didn't have enough experience with the adult to know for certain what their reaction might be, but his vast experience with a variety of humans was enough for him to make a general predication. The fact that she hadn't looked up yet also lent weight to the theory that the parent's behavior towards the child hadn't been pleasant.

"And?" he prompted, trying to gauge the emotional damage to his master.

"I shouldn't have said 'yes.' Timmy said it was his idea and his fault, but I should have known better. It's my fault. I'm not supposed to cause problems or get in the way or be a burden," she explained hurriedly. "But him being my friend meant he ended up bothering Mom. Which means I was causing problems."

"Hey, calm down," pleaded Norm as she began to sound frantic. "As much as I'd rather not agree with Turner, I don't think whatever happened to bug your mom would be your fault. Humans have the freedom to make their own stupid choices. And I'm rather fond of the idea of blaming the entire mess on Turner."

Taking a deep breath and apparently trying to compose herself, Amanda continued, "He said we could play at his house for now on. That way, Mom and Dad won't be bothered. But if I'm already causing problems after only a week, then maybe I was right and I don't deserve to have friends. He invited me over this afternoon to his house, but I don't know if I should go."

Once more, he was being offered the perfect opportunity to keep Turner and the girl separated. All it would take would be a few choice words. Manipulating people was so easy for him and he had no doubts that he could convince her it was for the best. She'd probably even make the decision even if he didn't say a word. Silence could be equally effective in dividing the pair and making his life infinitely simpler. Instead, the genie decided that Mars was too good a fate for the girl's parents and gave into the strong impulse to do what was actually best for the kid.

"Sorry to end the whole 'drowning in guilt' thing you're working on over there, but I think you're making a mistake if you believe that one little freak out from your mom or whatever happened means that you shouldn't hang out with Turner," he commented. "Regardless of anything else, you were far too happy when you first met the boy to just give up. And even if you refuse to believe this rather obvious fact, you do have the right to be happy."

"But…"

Norm quickly interrupted, "Forget about your parents for a second. If your mother didn't stumble upon the both of you yesterday, would you have accepted Turner's invitation?"

She hesitated a moment, clearly conflicted, but she eventually nodded. A weak smile even began to form on her face. The girl was beginning to get past whatever doubts her mother had caused the day before. Or at least, she was trying to.

"So that's settled. And if you plan on running off to Turner's house this afternoon," he remarked casually, "then we'll have to hurry things along if we're going to have time for a game of chess."

The genie snapped his fingers and every speck of dust vanished from the household with a _gong_. All the mirrors reflected back without a smudge and all forms of lint and dirt disappeared from the floor. Since Amanda wouldn't do anything else until the house was clean, Norm had sped up the process. He wanted to enjoy a game of chess against the girl and this was the only way to have enough time before she left. Helping her clean was practical.

"Come on, kid," taunted the genie in a good-natured fashion. "Let's see how long it takes you to lose this time."


	11. When Plans Collide

They thought he was mad. They tried to hide it, but he knew. He'd heard them whisper when they thought he wasn't around. Of course, he'd also heard them whispering when they knew he was around. And he'd heard them discuss the topic rather frankly with each other. Then there were all those cases when they shouted at him about his insanity and obsession. And a few people were even working on making it into a song.

On second thought, maybe they weren't trying to hide it all that much.

Regardless, he knew that the general view of his mental health was rather dim, but he wasn't the crackpot that everyone assumed he was. In fact, he was the sanest man alive. All those people who mocked him and rejected the theories he proposed to them, they were blind fools who ignored the obvious. He was the only one who knew the truth.

Denzel Cocker, future ruler of the entire planet, knew about the existence at _**Fairy Godparents!**_

Oh yes, he knew about them. As long as he could remember, he'd known that those magical creatures were hiding among them. The man couldn't even remember when he recognized this fact; it happened so long ago that it practically defined his entire life. But even with all his efforts and increasingly effective technologies, he still lacked the conclusive and concrete proof that he needed to demonstrate the existence of _**Fairies**_. And he needed that proof. Or even better, an actual _**Fairy**_. Only then would he be able to prove everyone wrong and make them pay for all the years of doubt.

Currently, he was far closer to his goal than he'd been in the previous years. After so many children resulting in so many dead ends, the teacher had a solid lead in his class. Timmy Turner, an average kid that no one understands, has _**Fairy Godparents**_. Crocker did not have a single doubt in his mind. There were too many hints and signs for any other explanation. He'd even caught glimpses of the creatures, but he could never manage to obtain tangible, undeniable proof that would silence all those who believed him to be crazy. If only he could capture one of the _**Fairies**_ , he could have both undeniable evidence and the ability to wield their magical power against the people who doubted. But Turner was a slippery fellow and always managed to wiggle free of Crocker's various attempts to expose the truth. He would not give up, however. Eventually, the smarter mind would prevail.

The hunchbacked man paced around the Crocker Cave. He had numerous plans stored down here, ranging from simple to extremely elaborate. A few were currently unworkable due to him lacking the materials, but he still had plenty of ideas to choose from. It was picking a plan that was presently causing him difficulties.

Ideally, he should choose one that takes advantage of Turner's weaknesses. He should pick one that forces the boy to expose himself, by making him wish for something that could not be explained away without magic. But what could possibly make Turner react like that? He took such great care to keep his _**Fairies**_ hidden.

A brief reflection of the boy's past behavior and interactions brought up one possibility. There was a girl of the same age group that seemed to keep his attention. The girl, Trixie Tang, was of a far higher social rank and tended to minimize her interactions with Turner. Actually, most females had little to do with him. Though Crocker's memories of the Friday 13th dance were rather hazy, he seemed to recall that the boy had to find a date from a different school and even needed to share her with another youth. Of course, arriving at such a social event without a partner would have undoubtedly been deeply embarrassing for Turner.

As if a brilliant light had ignited above his head, the man's contemplation brought forth the clear answer. It would take a little preparation, but the timing was perfect. It was practically December anyway and any child would be happy for an excuse for fun. Turner wouldn't expect the trap until Crocker confronted him, in front of the boy's peers of the impossibility that he was demonstrating. The impossibility that only could be explained by _**Fairy Godparents!**_

The man began to laugh out loud, the crazed cackling not likely to do anything positive concerning everyone's view of his sanity. But no one was around to judge him currently, so a little maniacal laughter wouldn't hurt anything. His success could very well be on the horizon. This current plan was far more sensible than some he'd attempted in the past, such as the one with the painted tunnel and the giant tunnel. He couldn't fail this time. Turner would be trapped by his own actions and Crocker would finally prove he was right.

"Yes," he cackled loudly. "This time, he won't talk his way out. I'll win this time. I'll have his _**Fairy Godparents!**_ "

* * *

Timmy stared at the blackboard numbly, his eyes half-way glazed over as Mr. Crocker diagrammed a rather complex flowchart of how certain historical events could have easily been the work of fairies. Even thought they all sounded completely farfetched, he was correct about at least some of them according to Cosmo and Wanda. The Black Plague sounded more like something his godfather would cause than Binky, but it was more surprising to learn that Crocker also suspected World War I as being the result of creative magical influence. Because of the weird coincidence of Archduke Ferdinand ending up passing the assassin, who was eating lunch, by taking the wrong turn. The boy had to admit that Mary Ann was a clever and evil little girl. Of course, once the man began to propose that disco was clearly the work of fairies, Timmy began to stop caring again. The boy wouldn't risk saying it out loud, but he really wished that something would happen to stop his teacher from talking. He was so _bored_.

"Students, I have a very special announcement," interrupted Principal Waxelplax over the intercom, thus answering the pink-hatted child's wish and silencing Crocker. "Next Friday night, we're having a dance for the older students to celebrate the coming winter holidays. This dance, the Snow Ball," she explained cheerfully as a few students rolled their eyes at the pun, "is for the fourth and fifth grade only, though anyone can attend as a date for one of our students. The cutest couple there will be crowned the Snow Ball King and Queen, so you better start finding your date quickly. The dance will start at seven, and the crowning should happen at eight-thirty. We hope to see you there."

Silence followed her announcement as the students glanced between each other. A few were clearly already trying to study the possible date options. Timmy already had his plan. He would have to act fast if he wanted to have the slightest chance. He might even need to use a little magic to catch her attention, but he would try a simpler method first. The boy would have to reach her first, before anyone else could ask her.

"Well, class, it would seem that there are some interesting events in your future," commented Crocker. "I suppose I could let you go to lunch a little early and you can socialize and discuss this particular development in more depth. After all, you don't want to show up without the perfect date and end up a complete social outcast because of that failure. Enjoy your meal."

Without further prompting, the entire student population of the class fled the room. Timmy's mind was on a specific goal. If he could plead his case quickly and effectively, he might be able to convince her to give him a chance. If she said no to his first try, he could always use a few wishes to make his second try more impressive. Either way, he would find a way to bring her to the dance.

Trixe Tang.

* * *

The black-haired girl laughed at a comment that the blond-haired boy had shared with his friend. Tad and Chad, regardless of how different in appearance they were besides their sunglasses, were practically interchangeable in personality. That was probably why she and Veronica, the girl with a blond ponytail that was considered her best friend, had no problem switching between the two boys. At least when she wasn't dating both at the same time. The four of them were undoubtedly at the top of the social hierarchy of the school. Granted, there were other popular students who could also access the table guarded by the large bouncer, but they were at the top of the ranks. This meant that Trixie was considered as the unreachable and unmatchable figure to be worshipped at a distance by her fellow students.

Of course, being placed on a pedestal like that wasn't always easy. There were perks, certainly. Everyone wanted to be her, she was insulated away from the more troublesome aspects of the school experience, and she was always assured of her importance and that she was noticed. On the other hand, maintaining her position was hard work. Appearances were everything for the popular kids. Perfect hair, perfect make-up, and the most expensive and latest clothes most always be in place. All of her interactions must be with students who are similarly popular or she would risk marring her image of perfection. And if she wasn't perfect in every way, she wouldn't be as important anymore. If she didn't maintain her popularity, she wouldn't be the center of attention. How would she know if she mattered if she didn't have so many people focused on her? The only measurement of her worth that she had was her popularity among her peers. So she had to keep herself perfect, regardless of the work involved. Popularity has its costs, but the benefits were worth it.

The announcement about the dance offered a chance to assert her rank among the students and reassure herself that no one could challenge her popularity. Being crowned as the Snow Ball Queen was her right, but she would still need to select a date that would complement her properly. And compliment. She would have to ensure that the boy that she went with would result in the best possible image. First, she would have to decide on the right dress of course. A blue dress, for example, would have a different effect if she stood next to Chad than if she was with Tad. And an emerald one would work better beside the blond-haired boy. But a sparkly white one would be more elegant and regal-looking on her. Choices. What combination of dress and boy would make the biggest impression?

"Hey, Trixie," a voice called abruptly, interrupting her pondering about the coming dance. A quick glance proved it to be an unpopular kid on the other side of the velvet rope who was just barely dodging the attempts of the bouncer to remove him. "I was wondering," he explained quickly, "if you'd like to go to the dance with me." He ducked beneath the man's large hands, continuing, "Just think about it. You'll look awesome in comparison and I won't be any form of distraction to anyone, so everyone will still pay attention to you."

It didn't take her more than a moment to realize that the unpopular kid currently trying to speak to her was Timmy Turner. He was the odd fluke in her perfect world. She didn't quite disregard his existence, even if he wasn't even close to her in the social hierarchy. He'd given up the chance of popularity to stand by his friends and he'd offered to be a friend to her who would accept her, even with her flaws, at her birthday party. It would have been nice to have a friend or a boyfriend who wouldn't be disappointed by the idea of the perfect girl being interested in video games or comics. But the few times she attempted to risk her standing at the school by giving the boy a chance, something would always happen to make her regret her actions. Trixie was the most desired girl in the entire school and yet he'd tossed aside her advances by saying that another girl deserved to be his valentine more or by claiming he felt nothing from her actions. It was frustrating. Timmy chased after her without hesitation, regardless of the obstacles in his way, but any chance she took was met with humiliating failure. And Trixie Tang would _not_ be humiliated. She was too important and popular for that. She would not let some unpopular kid play with her emotions like that.

"Why would I go with you?" she asked, glaring at the pink-hatted boy. "I could go with any boy in the school."

Tad laughed, "Get real."

"The bucked-tooth loser probably won't be able to find a date at all," added Chad. "He keeps chasing after girls out of his league."

"Come on, give me a chance," Timmy begged, pausing in his dodging just long enough to give Trixie a pleading look.

Unfortunately, his pause was just the chance the large bouncer needed. His meaty hand wrapped around the boy and picked him up. Trixie gave Timmy a bored look.

"Unless you do something rather drastic and impressive, there is no chance that I would go to the dance with someone like you," she stated before waving her hand dismissively to signal the bouncer to remove the boy.

All the popular kids laughed as Timmy was tossed aside. Trixie joined in, even if it wasn't quite as amusing to her. It was a little flattering that he continued to pursue her, even if he was frustrating for her. But maintaining her popularity meant conforming to both the image and thoughts of the other popular kids. If they thought something was funny, she must also find it funny. Such is one of the prices of keeping her position and importance.

* * *

The moment she heard the announcement of the dance, the bespectacled girl with black pigtails felt a rush of desperate hope. Even if past experience would suggest the unlikeliness of it coming to pass, she needed to at least try. She could already see it happening. She would go with him to the dance. He would finally realize his love for her and agree to become her boyfriend. They would date all the way through the rest of school until they graduated from high school. Finally, they would have a June wedding with her in a long and flowing white dress and beautiful red roses everywhere. They would say their vows and they would be Timmy and Tootie Turner. It would be perfect.

Of course, she would have to ask him first.

Hunting down the boy wasn't too hard. Granted, the tracking devices she tended to employ to keep an eye on him seemed to malfunction regularly. Almost like magic. But she knew the best places to look for him.

Some people might see her behavior as mildly obsessive or stalker-like. What did they know? She loved him, but Timmy didn't like spending much time with her. Following him was the only way she could see him. She would rather be around him in a more ordinary method, but Tootie had learned a long time ago to accept whatever shred of goodness in her life that she could find. With a sister like Vicky, you didn't have an overabundance of pleasant moments to enjoy.

Not to say that her life was completely miserable. She had several friends, especially the troop members of the Sugar Cream Puffs. And they would spend time with her, unless there was the threat of Vicky's presence. She had her fun and wonderful days. They just so happened to be mixed in with the miserable ones that involved her sister. Or Timmy not noticing her unquestioning love for him.

Tootie positioned herself near the lunchroom exit. Timmy's attempts to get near the popular table was rather infamous, even if her class wasn't usually at lunch at the same time as Crocker's class. From her spot, the girl could easily witness the boy being forcibly ejected after his failed conversation with Trixie Tang. Honestly, she didn't see why Timmy kept trying to win her over. She was always mean to the wonderful pink-hatted boy. Okay, Trixie might be pretty. And tall. And popular. And she didn't wear glasses or have an evil sister. But she didn't love Timmy nearly as much as Tootie did. So Trixie didn't deserve him.

As soon as he landed after being tossed by the bouncer, the bespectacled girl zeroed in on her target and closed the distance between them. Tootie gave him a bright smile. She would have hugged him, but that would probably be too much at once. Maybe when they were further along on her plan to marry him, but not yet.

"Hi, Timmy," she greeted, leaning a little closer towards him. "Did you hear about the dance? It sounds so romantic."

"Uh… yes?" he answered uneasily, glancing around hurriedly.

Realizing he wasn't going to take a hint and ask without further prompting, Tootie continued, "I can't wait to go as your date. All you have to do is ask."

"Oh, well… the thing is…," he mumbled, his eyes zipping frantically around as if searching for something. Abruptly, he pointed behind her, "Look. A unicorn."

Even as she spun around in response, she realized it was a distraction. As she feared, he'd fled while her back was turned. It hurt that he was turning down her offer, just as he always did. No matter how many times he did this, it still hurt. But she'd experienced this rejection before and it would undoubtedly occur again. Still, Tootie knew that he would eventually be hers. The moments where he showed her kindness gave her hope.

Perhaps he would change his mind and ask her later. Or maybe he would see her at the dance, become dazzled by her appearance, and sweep her off of her feet as he realized is love for her. Of course, that would result in him agreeing to become her boyfriend. And then they would date and eventually get married. It would be perfect.

* * *

His first attempt to get Trixie to agree to go with him to the dance would have to be considered a total failure. He could admit it. He ended up being tossed aside by the bouncer and running away from Tootie's efforts to wrangle him into being her date. But Timmy did not think his goal was beyond all hope. She said that she could go with any boy to the dance; that meant she hadn't picked one yet. And, as long as she was still free, he could devise a method to impress her and change her mind.

"Operation: Date Trixie is still on," he muttered, hiding in a janitor's closet to avoid Tootie and hoping the bespectacled girl didn't appear any time soon. "Any ideas on how to win her over?"

"Limo filled with roses, soft violin music, and a box of chocolate from the most talented Swiss genius in history?" suggested Wanda, floating next to him in the small space.

"Fireworks, Chip Skylark showing up for a surprise concert, and half a dozen outfits from one of those expensive magazines with the super gorgeous supermodels," Cosmo contributed before noticing his wife's expression and added, "but who are nowhere near as pretty as Wanda."

"Poof poof," commented Poof helpfully.

"All good ideas, but it'll have to be perfect," the boy replied. "We need something that screams 'even though he isn't very popular, Timmy Turner can still offer you something no one else can.' What can I give her that no one else would even think of?"

Cosmo, peering around the small space they were hiding in, remarked, "Well, she probably doesn't have a nice mop like this one. Or that bucket. Or those…"

"No, something more romantic and awesome. Not something to clean with," interrupted the pink-hatted boy.

"How about you volunteer to get her a tiara?" suggested Wanda. "They'll probably have one for when they crown the Snow Ball Queen, but I'm pretty certain we can come up with something more impressive than what the school would provide."

Timmy grinned, "That's perfect. No one else would think of that and Trixie would love it. Thanks." Filled with renewed hope by his revised plan, he stepped over the bucket and moved towards the door. "I have to go to class now, but we'll try again first thing tomorrow."

"You got it," the green-haired fairy remarked before the three magical creatures turned back into school supplies.

* * *

Spying on events at the school was risky. Norm would be the first to admit it. But all his plans for vengeance that he kept mulling over kept running into the same problems. He needed to get closer and more information in order for them to work. And since he still wanted his revenge against Turner, he would have to take the chance.

He wasn't stupid enough, however, to appear in the boy's classroom. He didn't want Turner, his fairies, that crazed-up fruit-loop of a teacher, or (especially) Amanda to know he was skulking about. That could lead to far too many problems. Instead, his initial idea was to go straight to the top and follow the principal. The genie figured that, worst case scenario, he could shrink and hide in her beehive hairdo. It would provide a semi-effective place to scout out his target without getting too close and being spotted.

That plan was tossed aside as soon as the woman announced some kind of school dance over the intercom. That single concept spawned an idea that, while not enough to be considered a complete revenge, would undoubtedly cause the boy at least some level of suffering. And it wasn't fatal, so Amanda wouldn't get upset about her friend being harmed. Balancing between his desire to achieve vengeance against Turner and his determination to prevent the girl from being caught in the crossfire made his options limited, but Norm knew he could find a way.

His first encounter with the bucked-tooth loser involved him trying to use the wishes only for requests his fairies couldn't fulfill. The second wish, however, was the one that was inspiring the genie currently. Turner wanted a specific girl to love him. That request, of course, ended up being twisted, but that wasn't the point. The point was that the kid had a crush on the girl, Trixie Tang, and he would undoubtedly want to go with her to this dance.

He waited patiently until the black-haired girl was alone. Even if no one would likely notice or realize what he was doing, it was always best to minimize the number of witnesses. When she headed towards her locker, momentarily without any of her friends or admirers around, he snapped his fingers.

As soon as the _gong_ erupted, the girl froze with a blank expression, her eyes vaguely glazed over. The moment passed quickly and she continued on her way again. But Norm had planted a small change in her head. It would wear off after the dance, but it would last long enough and it would even allow him to mess with the Tang girl a little too. She would be horrified by her behavior once she was returned to normal, Turner would be heart-broken, and Amanda would be oblivious. The genie couldn't keep the malicious grin off his face.

* * *

Today was not the best day of his life. He couldn't call it the worst day of his life. Sanjay wasn't going to exaggerate events to that degree. But it was certainly a rather negative situation currently and he held little hope for improvement.

It was the end of the school day and, rather than racing towards the buses with his peers, he was banging his fists against the inside of his locker door. Francis had crammed him inside the metal space. Unfortunately, none of the bespectacled boy's friends had been present at the time to witness the event. Thus, he as trapped inside his own locker unless someone heard him and opened the door. And he held low hopes of catching the attention of anyone who might help.

The sounds of the leaving students were beginning to fade away. Sanjay kept hitting the metal surface, silently wishing that someone would hear him. Otherwise, he was going to be stuck until the janitor started cleaning the hallways later. It would make him late getting home.

"Please, let me out," he called desperately. "I do not like it in here. It is too small and I do not wish to be late. Please, someone must help me."

"What's the combination?" a rather pleasant female voice inquired.

Relief rushed over Sanjay. He was getting out. He would have to thank her for helping. It was so nice he would not be stuck in his locker all afternoon.

"It is thirteen right, twenty-five left, and four right," he relayed quickly.

He listened eagerly as she spun the combination lock to the proper numbers. The boy was far too familiar with hearing that sound from inside his locker. Most of the time he was freed by Elmer or the janitor, but he was rarely released by a girl. Did he know this girl? She sounded vaguely familiar.

Finally there was a click as the lock opened and Sanjay pushed the door open. The bespectacled boy prepared to deliver a heart-felt thanks to his rescuer, but his jaw dropped in surprise.

Standing there with an odd expression on her face was Trixie Tang. The tall, dark-haired girl that Timmy pursued endlessly was the one who freed him. She never noticed him. He and Elmer were so far down the social ladder that they were beyond invisible to her and the other popular kids. But she was looking at him now.

Uncertain of how to respond to this serious breach in the normal social set-up, but knowing he should still say something to the person who let him out, Sanjay carefully stated, "Thank you ever so much for opening my locker."

Instead of pretending not to hear him or getting angry at being addressed by a loser, Trixie gave him an odd smile, "You're welcome. I've… seen you before. With the Other Empty Bus Seat. And a few times with Timmy."

"Yes," he acknowledged. "I am Sanjay."

This was so surreal. He was speaking to Trixie Tang. All other students had already left the hallway, meaning there were no witnesses for this odd moment. The bespectacled boy almost believed he fell asleep in his locker and was dreaming, but he knew that such a scenario would result in Timmy appearing to save him on a white horse rather than the most popular girl in the school. Even his imagination had limits.

After sharing his name, he still fully expected to have her forget it and maybe even end the conversation. Instead, she extended her hand.

"Well, it is very nice to meet you, Sanjay," she remarked, shaking his hand. "What were you doing in there?"

"Francis felt it was necessary to stash my fragile body into that tight space," explained the boy simply.

Her expression still a little strange, she shook her head, "That's simply terrible. He shouldn't do that to you."

Sanjay shrugged, "I am small, weak, and unpopular. I make an easy target."

The girl frowned, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear her vision and focus properly, and then shook her head again. She seemed a little distracted, but it quickly passed and she gave him a rather kind smile.

"I guess I'll have to fix that," she stated firmly. "Sanjay, how would you like to be my date to the dance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, put the torches and pitchforks down. I have a few important comments to make before you try to hang me. I don't support the idea of Tootie and Timmy as a couple above all other possibilities. I don't support the idea of Trixie and Timmy as a couple above all other possibilities. I support both! 
> 
> I think that either possibility has merit and could work if given the opportunity. If Tootie stopped coming on to Timmy so strongly and he was offered a chance to mature a little first, the two of them could be a cute couple. If Trixie gained enough confidence to no longer dictate her life according to other people's opinions and Timmy stopped trying so hard, they could be an equally adorable pair. Following this logic, neither girl will be portrayed as being perfect or as a heartless harpy or as a freaky stalker without any excuse for her behavior. Both girls have flaws, but they also have redeeming qualities that deserve to be pointed out. 
> 
> Do not get into a major battle, clogging up the reviews with complaints that Tootie is the only person Timmy will ever love since they ended up together in the live action movie or that Trixie kissing him in Wishology is undeniable proof that they are meant to be. I can respect either viewpoint, but I don't want to have it turn into a huge argument between readers. Romance is not the focus of this story! It will never be the focus of this story! I am not here to spark off a shipping war between the different fans. And, before you ask, I am not trying to pair Amanda off romantically with Timmy either. While the boy might continue in his attempts to find true love, he isn't going to find it in this story.
> 
> And, yes, Norm just used magic to make Trixie ask Sanjay out on a date. I considered a number of possibilities, including going with just Tad or Chad, Chester, or even Elmer. Finally, I picked Sanjay because I hadn't shown his viewpoint yet. Norm has no qualms about using people in his plans. He used Chester in "Fairy Idol" after all. Just because he has a soft spot for Amanda doesn't mean he's lost all of his past characterization. Messing with Trixie doesn't bother him at all and even amuses since he knows it will hurt Turner.


	12. Searching For A Date

Norm was in the best mood she'd seen him in since they moved to Dimmsdale. It wasn't that Amanda hadn't seen him happy before, but he was laughing at random intervals to himself and his mouth was in a constant smirk. The girl tried asking about what happened to leave him so cheerful, but all he would say was that a project of his was finally progressing. Regardless of what his project might be, she was happy to see him enjoying himself.

The genie was currently flipping through a menu for some type of Chinese food restaurant, looking for something to order to go. She'd never eaten Chinese food before, so he was going to pick out something for her. He'd promised not to get anything too spicy for her, but he also promised to tease her mercilessly when she couldn't use chopsticks. It would be fun to try using them anyway.

"Think you'd like some eggrolls?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen.

The genie shrugged, "I'll grab a couple just in case. With the sweet and sour chicken and the fried rice, that should be enough to eat."

"Okay," she agreed, tapping the pen thoughtfully. "If you think it'll be good, you're probably right."

"Of course I am. I'll be back as soon as the food's ready," the genie stated. "If our homework's done by the time I return, we can test how long it takes for me to win at chess this time."

She smiled at him as Norm snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_. What she was currently occupied with wasn't actually homework, but she wasn't surprised about the assumption. Her project was, instead, a little more personal. The genie suggested the idea, but he probably forgot about it since he was so excited today.

Amanda was writing a letter to Santa. Or trying to. Norm had encouraged her to ask for presents this year, pointing out that she could make her room more interesting that way. But she honestly couldn't think of what to request. It was sort of like how she couldn't make a wish for Norm to grant.

What could she possibly need? She had friends. Not just Timmy, though he was certainly more than she ever expected. She also had the genie in her life. He was around quite a bit now, especially compare to a few months ago. They played chess, ate dinner together, and she listened to his intriguing stories. He encouraged her even when he teased her. Amanda knew that he'd made her life better and that she possibly wouldn't have Timmy as her friend if the sarcastic genie didn't continuously assert his view that she deserved to be happy. And she was. She felt happier and felt more wanted than she had since Grandma died.

Inspiration struck the girl and she carefully wrote down her Christmas wish. It was short and a little vague, but it was the only thing that she could ask for. For the most part, she had what she needed and there was nothing else that she deserved from Santa. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask for this one little thing.

As she signed the letter and slid it into an envelope, Norm appeared holding a few white boxes that smelled delicious. The girl smiled at both the return and the food he brought.

"I also snagged a few fortune cookies, so you better be hungry, kid," he remarked, setting his containers down. "I'm not eating all of this alone."

* * *

He felt rather smug as he took a bit of rice. Trixie Tang, thanks to his meddling, would be unable to resist going to the dance with one of the loser friends of Turner. He had a hard time deciding between the one in the yellow shirt and the one with the boil, so Norm eventually flipped a coin. He figured that having the boy's crush going out with a friend, let alone someone even less popular than Turner, would hurt him. It would break the bucked-tooth idiot's heart, but it wouldn't do enough damage to upset Amanda. It would be a nice piece of revenge that he could enjoy without guilt.

The genie watched Amanda fumbled with her chopsticks, her unfamiliarity with the utensils causing her to drop the piece of chicken again. His unusual master seemed so ordinary and even boring at first glance that he still had difficulty believing how special she truly was. The fact he was curbing the severity of his vengeance schemes to ensure they wouldn't affect her was proof of that. He was far too attached to the girl and he couldn't figure out how it happened. Any effort to deny or excuse his actions concerning her happiness was becoming difficult to maintain. The only reason why he tried to do so any longer was simply because Norm didn't want to truly admit what was actually going on. His pride and centuries of cynicism wouldn't handle such a thing easily.

Lies made things simpler. Lying about various plans and wishes made tricking idiots easier. Keeping Turner and Chester in the dark about his motives almost guaranteed him a victory last time they met. Hiding the truth about his past actions and behavior kept Amanda from hating him. And lying to himself kept the genie from having to admit how much he truly cared about the kid and how hard it would be to deal with her disappointment if she ever learned the reality of who he was.

But she would never find out. If he was careful, he could maintain his secret. He could spend his days torturing Turner, destroying Canada, or visiting attractive genies while still enjoying himself with the clever and inquisitive girl the rest of the time. He could keep the delicate balance in place as long as he was cautious.

Watching Amanda finally put down the chopsticks, he smirked, "Giving up?"

"No, I'm just full," she answered firmly.

"Or you just can't use the two little sticks to eat," Norm remarked. "You have to at least check out your fortune cookie."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "Entertainment. Particularly gullible people think that the little snacks can predict the future. Which is complete nonsense since no one can really know for certain about what's going to happen. Especially since so many people try to wish for time traveling or just rewriting the fabric of reality. The future is continuously shifting too much for anything, even magic, to predict exactly what is coming." He gestured towards the fortune cookies while smirking, "These things are still fun to read anyway. Super vague and wise-sounding phrases to chuckle about and goofy advice that occasionally makes a little sense. Try it."

The genie tossed the brunette child the small snack and watched her crack it open. Pulling of the tiny shred of paper, she frowned thoughtfully.

"'Courage is choosing the right path even in the face of adversity'," she read carefully. "What does that mean?"

"Do good stuff even if it's hard," answered Norm shortly.

"Oh," commented the girl. Then, gaining a curious look on her face, she asked, "What does yours say?"

Crushing the cookie, Norm extracted the fortune and carefully relayed, "It says 'Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance.' Considering how many times I've seen someone make a mess of a situation or unravel a perfect plan simply because they didn't know better or didn't think things through, this is absolutely true. But that doesn't really mean that these things can predict the future either."

* * *

He had it planned out. Every detail was worked out with his fairy godparents. After he gave the signal, they would start breaking out the romantic elements to win over Trixie. They would start out subtle and build their way up to the whole concerts and limo thing. Timmy knew he could make it work. He could win her over and have her as his date.

Clinging to that stubborn belief firmly, the brunette boy stepped onto the bus. His complete focus on his plan was shattered, however, when he was practically tackled by a rather frantic Sanjay.

"I am so sorry, Timmy. I did not mean for this to occur. But how am I supposed to go against the request of someone so high up in the social hierarchy? Even if she has chosen to disregard the normal behavior of the student population, I cannot do that. I must bow to her whims. Please forgive me," he begged.

The pink-hatted boy shoved his back-up friend away enough to actually see his face and asked, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I don't have time for this. I have to talk to Trixie."

"But that is the problem," explained Sanjay, his tone urgent and horrified. "I was inside my locker due to Francis trapping me within the metal container. When I was released, the impossible occurred."

Timmy, trying to get around the bespectacled boy so he could claim a seat near Trixie, muttered absently, "Yeah, that's great. Can we talk about this later? I have to ask her to go the dance with me before she gets a date.

"It is already too late," he shrieked. "She has claimed her chosen date and it cannot be changed without further upsetting the normal social order. I am sorry."

"What?" shouted the pink-hatted individual. "Who's she going with?"

"Sanjay," a sweet and familiar voice called. Timmy slowly turned his head towards her, Trixie Tang, as she waved towards the bespectacled boy. For some reason, the most popular girl in the entire school was looking at the extremely unpopular individual with a warm expression that Timmy always dreamed of seeing directed at him. Trixie continued, "Sanjay, come sit with me. I want to discuss what we're going to wear to the dance."

The pink-hatted boy knew his jaw was dangling open in pure shock, but he couldn't quite seem to manage to close it. At least he wasn't alone in his surprise. His fairies, disguised as school supplies, seemed to have their eyes bugging out and nearly every student was staring at the sheepish bespectacled boy as he obeyed the girl's command. It didn't make sense. Even with the scattered hints that Trixie might like him in return, the dark-haired girl generally cared too much about status that it required something impressive to overcome that concern over popularity. And yet she was now sitting quite happily with Sanjay, even though he was even more unpopular than Timmy. Why would she bend her standards for the bespectacled boy, but not the pink-hatted one?

"You okay, Sport?" asked Wanda carefully.

He always wanted Trixie to realize that popularity wasn't the only factor that determined a person's worth. He dreamed of her deciding that her ideal boyfriend didn't have to rich or important. He'd imagined her stepping outside of her comfort zone and dating a boy who was completely unpopular, defying the social hierarchy because love conquers all.

Well, it finally happened. It just wasn't the way he wanted it to be.

He stared at Trixie and Sanjay a moment, the girl clearly happy and the boy completely overwhelmed, before answering, "I'll be fine, Wanda."

* * *

Whispers and stares followed the unusual pair as they moved through the school. It was too impossible to believe. It had to be a sign of the apocalypse.

Trixie Tang was dating a loser.

Chester couldn't help staring as Sanjay followed after her awkwardly, apparently still stunned by this strange turn of events. The blond boy's personal theory was that the girl had finally snapped and this was merely a sign of her new-found insanity. He was just glad she hadn't decided to cling on to him instead when her brain broke.

"What's going on?" asked a voice behind him timidly.

Turning around, Chester found Amanda watching the odd attention being directed towards the "Beauty and the Beast"-like relationship. The shy girl wasn't too bad and she wasn't causing hives to form yet. As long as she continued to not produce that type of reaction from him, the boy had no qualms about her presence. But she was technically still new to the school. No one could expect her to understand the strangeness of the two individuals being together.

"The most popular girl in school is going to the dance with one of the least popular," he explained. "The world has gone mad. Everyone figured that, if she did eventually go crazy like that, Trixie would have at least picked Timmy."

"Why Timmy?" asked the brunette girl, her interest perking sharply at the boy's name.

Chester shrugged, "He's been chasing after her nonstop almost as long as I can remember. He was trying to get her to with him to the Snow Ball."

"The dance for the older kids?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but it looks like he'll have to find someone else." He pointed at Trixie as she held Sanjay's hand. "I think she's taken."

"Oh," she remarked quietly. "Are dances fun?"

Chester looked at the shy girl. Did she not go to school dances before she moved here? Girls were always more excited about these things and never missed a chance to dress up nice. Even guys tended to go to dances fairly often. If it wasn't for the fact Amanda was too young to attend, he would have fully expected her to be equally concerned with finding the perfect dress for the ball.

He shrugged, "I guess it might be sort of fun. There's dancing and food. And music." Chester turned back towards the nervous Sanjay and delighted Trixie as they went around the corner. "But you have to have a date of some kind. Otherwise you end up being completely humiliated." Quietly, he pondered, "I wonder if AJ can whip up a couple of robots for us."

He stared at the strange display of Sanjay following after Trixie like an obedient puppy, uncertain whether or not he was doing the right thing, excited and afraid of the current situation, and yet not brave enough to go against her word. It was so odd that he could not stop watching the destruction of the social order and momentarily forgot about his quiet little audience. When he glanced back towards the brunette girl, Amanda was gone.

* * *

Timmy stared at the list in front of him. After accepting his failure to gain Trixie's attention, he began writing up his other possible options. He'd known from the beginning that there was a strong chance that she would turn him down, but he never imagined Trixie would chose Sanjay.

After the initial shock to the entire school began to wear off, confusion set in on the entire student body. This whole mess was unprecedented. How would a relation between two individuals so far apart in the social hierarchy affect the popularity of those involved? Would it boost Sanjay's status or demote Trixie's? Such a question would normally be posed to the most popular student in the entire school for their ruling, but that wouldn't work very well. She _was_ the problem.

It was just anarchy. Timmy remembered watching the bouncer for the popular table deal with this confliction earlier in the week. The man didn't know if he should let the pair in or keep them both out. This mess would need to be straightened out soon. They had upset the order of the social ladder and, until everyone figured out what that meant to their popularity, there was going to be plenty of confusion and chaos.

But the pink-hatted boy was trying not to focus on the situation. He was attempting to ignore the fact that Trixie chose his back-up friend over him. Instead, he was thinking only of his limited options for a date.

He couldn't go with Tootie. The girl would take the invitation too seriously. She would see it as proof that he wanted to date her. He didn't. He just needed a girl for the dance so he wouldn't be completely humiliated.

The idea of crossing dimensions again to invite Cindy was a possibility, but Timmy eventually dismissed it. Last time he dealt with Jimmy, they left on fairly good terms. Getting into another argument over the blond girl and a dance would not end well. Especially since last time involved combining Jorgen Von Strangle with a weird old guy that nearly blew up everyone in that dimension. Stealing a guy's girlfriend was probably not a good way to keep his friendship with the genius of another dimension. He was a rather fun guy and they did better as a team than as enemies. And you never know when such a friendship could be helpful in the future.

Moving down the list, Timmy crossed off the names for girls who already had a date. Next, he crossed off those who hated him, thought he was crazy due to his habit of talking to inanimate objects, or they simply ignored his existence in a manner similar to how Trixie did. Then, realizing how few possibilities were left, he crumbled up the sheet of paper and threw it away.

"I wonder if I can convince Mark to use his fake-i-fier to go with me," he grumbled darkly.

"Doubt it," confided Cosmo. "Last I heard, he was planning to make a visit to his home planet that evening." The green-haired fairy glanced at the ball of wadded-up paper contemplatively before suggesting, "Maybe you could ask Philip the nickel. She is a girl nickel, after all. If you just need a girl for the dance, that could work since Philip is nice and wouldn't think you're in love…" He trailed off briefly, _poofing_ up the coin. After a moment, he added, "Apparently Philip is busy that night. Sorry."

Timmy stared at his godfather, "Are you telling me that I can't even get a _nickel_ to go with me to the Snow Ball and Sanjay gets Trixie?"

"Cheer up, Sport," Wanda urged. "I'm sure there's someone you can go with." She glanced at her husband who was now hugging the round shape. "Someone who isn't a piece of money."

"Like who?" he asked. "I'll accept any non-crazy female at this point who isn't already dating someone and isn't an inanimate object."

"Poof poof poof," commented the fairy infant helpfully as he played with his newest toy. As promised, Timmy's god-sibling now had a teddy bear of his own to cuddle with. This one was a light purple shade and was almost as big as Poof. The young fairy reached over and patted his human family member, "Poof."

The pink-hatted boy gave his god-brother a small grin of appreciation in return, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm sure something will hit me."

* * *

"On the left, on the left," ordered AJ. "Open fire."

Amanda responded to her teammate's order, pulling the joystick and hitting the button rapidly. After a few lessons with Timmy on how to play a video game in general and his Crash Nebula one specifically, he'd invited her to his room to join him and his friends for a game night. This was apparently the first time that they'd had enough people to form teams. They alternated partners between rounds so no one was stuck with a less experienced player for long, but it was certainly fun.

"Timmy, behind you," Chester warned. "Rock monster."

"I got it," answered the brunette boy. "Take care of the scout droids over there. They'll call in reinforcements."

"Awesome, you found a shield power-up," AJ cheered. "Use it to get into the fortress without losing your last life."

"Too late," the blond boy laughed. "I've found the crystallic fusion chamber. The energy gem is mine, so Timmy and I win this level."

"Victory," grinned his partner, "is sweet."

Amanda gave AJ an apologetic look, knowing that her inexperience made her less than ideal as a teammate. He smiled and shrugged, unconcerned by the loss. Chester and Timmy exchanged high-fives. She couldn't help feeling a little happy even if she failed to win. The game wasn't the point. She was spending time with them, being included in the group, and they didn't seem to mind her presence. It was fun. She was having fun with other people. It was still amazing to her.

"I think we better start heading home," AJ remarked, setting the controller down. "It's getting late and I need to put the finishing touches on the Date-borgs for me and Chester so they'll be ready for tomorrow. But this was fun. Having four players made it more interesting."

Starting to head for the door, Chester added, "Yeah, she might not be the best, but she didn't do that badly on video games. For a girl."

Amanda smiled at the compliment as she slipped her backpack on. The girl had taken it off during the game marathon, but she kept it within arm's reach the entire time. The contents were too valuable, after all. Pulling it back on was slowing her down from leaving though, so the other two boys were already calling out good-byes as they headed out the door.

Before she could leave, Timmy abruptly remarked, "Wait, you _are_ a girl."

"Yes," Amanda acknowledged quietly, confused by his observation.

"A nice, non-crazy girl who isn't an inanimate object."

She nodded, still uncertain of the purpose of the strange conversation. He was beginning to sound a little excited.

"This is awesome," stated the pink-hatted boy, glancing momentarily at the goldfish bowl on his nightstand. "I won't have to go alone and be completely humiliated." He grinned at her, "Amanda, I can trust you not to act weird and start planning the wedding or stalking me, right?"

"What? I don't…"

"Sorry, let me ask this properly. I need a girl to go to the dance with me. Would you like to go with me to the Snow Ball? As a friend, not a date. That way I won't have to go alone and you'll be able to attend it, even if you're too young otherwise. Please?"

Amanda stared at him, completely stunned by the offer. It seemed like Timmy would continue to surprise her with his actions. But now he was asking her to a dance for the older students. Considering that her only human friend would be there and that this was the first school event she'd ever been invited to, the girl felt a rather strong urge to accept the offer. It was an exciting and very frightening idea. Only a lifetime of fading into the background and the knowledge of how little she deserved such an opportunity kept the brunette girl from leaping at the chance.

"But…"

"Please, can you do this favor for me? I need someone to go with by tomorrow night or else everyone will laugh at me. I'm out of options and you won't take it the wrong way," he begged. "It'll be fun. And it isn't like a romantic date as boyfriend and girlfriend or anything weird like that. Just hanging out as friends and preventing me from looking like a complete loser. Please?"

She stared at him for a moment before her eyes dropped to the floor. She tugged at the neck of her turtleneck as she considered the boy's words. After everything that he'd done to improve her life by being her friend, it would only be fair to do something for him in return. But she felt so nervous about the idea. What if she messed up at the dance or embarrassed Timmy by not being good enough? She didn't want to ruin everything, but she might make things worse if she turned him down. What should she do? Accept the offer and take a chance to have a good time, even if it might end in disaster? Or decline and disappoint him, but provide him an opportunity to find someone worthy of such a prospect?

Thinking about the comforting weight of the lava lamp in her backpack and how Norm kept encouraging her to try to have fun and be happy, she pulled her eyes back up and mumbled quietly, "Okay."


	13. Preparations

She was doing her last minute preparations for the dance tomorrow. Trixie knew that everything had to be perfect. The black-haired girl knew that she would be wearing her frosty blue dress with the poofy sleeves and the silver ribbon around the middle, but she still had to accessorize properly.

"Is this all right?" Sanjay asked, adjusting the dark suit she'd selected for him.

"Yes," she nodded. "Just be sure to part your hair on the left for the dance. But don't use too much gel."

The bespectacled boy nodded rapidly, indicating that her instructions would be obeyed. She smiled happily at Sanjay, adjusting his tie slightly. She absolutely adored the unpopular kid. Trixie didn't know why. She knew that her own popularity was in serious jeopardy, a thought that terrified her, but the girl knew that she loved him and must go to the dance with him. That concept was firmly in her mind: she loved Sanjay and they were going to the Snow Ball together. Nothing else was important.

Carefully, the boy asked, "Is there anything else I should be doing?"

Walking over to her jewelry box, she absently remarked, "If you would pull out my silver shoes from the closet, that would be great. I need to see if they'll go well with certain jewelry and your outfit."

For a second, she frowned as a rather insistent warning tried to assert itself in her mind, but she quickly ignored it. She needed to focus on choosing the accessories. Silver would match better than gold, but she still needed to decide which earrings to wear and whether or not to include a bracelet. Once that was dealt with, she would need to figure out the proper hairstyle. It was important that every piece of her presentation be perfect. The whole was greater than the sum of the parts. The final result would be more impressive than the individual aspects, especially if she could coordinate everything perfectly. If she looked perfect, she could remain popular and important. As long as she was perfect, everything would be all right.

"What are you doing with all of these 'Skull Squisher' comics in your closet?" Sanjay asked abruptly, interrupting her thoughts.

Trixie dropped the silver necklace in horror. She'd forgotten about her collection being in there. She'd been forgetting a lot of things lately, ever since she became completely in love with the bespectacled boy. But this particular lapse in memory could prove to be disastrous. With the single exception of her short-term friend, Timantha, no one knew of her interest in comics and video games. Such hobbies did not fit in with the image of the popular girl she was supposed to be. Her interest in coordinating various outfits and accessories were safer to her status.

If news of her less-than-ideal hobbies became common knowledge, she would be ruined. She would lose her popularity. She wouldn't be important, she wouldn't have any attention beyond possible ridicule, and she would simply be another student. Without popularity, she would have no friends or power. Would there be any worth left to her if she lost all of her social status?

"They're not…," she began, intending to deny ownership of the incriminating evidence. Then, realizing how hard it would be to explain away the presence of the comics in her closet, Trixie's head dropped and she whispered, "Please don't tell anyone about this. I can't let them find out about this. I'll be ruined."

She didn't dare look at the bespectacled boy in a tux. He had the power to completely destroy the life of popularity and importance she'd crafted. Essentially, the black-haired girl was at his mercy. She waited in silence for however he might respond.

Sanjay finally remarked, "You are missing issue thirty."

Her head shot up. The bespectacled boy was looking through her collection, deeply interested by the comics. He wasn't reacting with mockery or ridicule of her less-than-feminine hobby.

"Yes, I'm missing a few," she admitted slowly. "It can be difficult to obtain them since I have to be careful not to be recognized. The most popular girl in school can't be seen buying comics." She shrugged, "That's just how the world works. Appearances are very important and I can't appear to be anything but perfect."

"I believe I may have an extra copy of that issue," he commented carefully, setting down her limited-edition hologram-cover of Skull Squisher number twenty. "If you would like it in order to complete the set, I am willing to let you have it and to keep your secret."

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

He nodded, "Of course I would. And if you require someone to infiltrate the comic store in order to obtain future copies, I am willing to act as the purchaser if you will provide the funding for such actions. This way, you may gain your comics without any threat to your popularity."

She stared at the bespectacled boy, stunned by the offer. It was such a kind thing to do, offering to help her collection without making any type of threat towards her social standing. The black-haired girl felt a strong surge of affection for her unpopular date, but this particular instant of emotion felt more genuine than before. It wasn't a sense of being in love; it was like a particularly special friendship and a deep appreciation.

Between that moment of friendship and the fact that she knew that she was absolutely in love with Sanjay, she felt it was safe to give him a small display of gratitude. Leaning down to the shorter boy, Trixie placed a quick kiss on top of his head.

"Thank you," she smiled. "How did I ever find such a nice guy?"

"You let me out of a locker," he answered, looking a little stunned by the kiss.

* * *

It was late. Or rather, early. The genie had spent the evening watching a Brittany Brittany concert and, due to the fact most of his preferred date choices were now stuck in the annoying and boring "between masters" phase, decided to enjoy a little time with a mesmerized pop star after the show. Granted, he preferred girls with a few thousand more years on them and of a more magical variety, but he could admit she was an attractive-looking airhead. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the scenery and watching the mesmerized beauty make random comments about kumquats. Perhaps not the best substitute for a lovely female genie, but she was better than nothing.

After a few hours of pretending Brittany Brittany was actually _not_ a particularly dull-witted human, he left the pop star in a rather unpleasant situation that he was quick to alert the paparazzi about. It had been a rather entertaining evening, especially as he imagined the front page image of the blond celebrity sleeping in a dumpster that was certain to grace the morning edition. It wasn't due to any type of maliciousness against her. Norm just found it rather amusing and far too easy to mess with the airhead. Still, something urged him to at least _gong_ up a blanket to keep the celebrity warm.

But it did mean he didn't get to see Amanda before she went to sleep. He knew that she'd planned to go for some kind of video game contest with Turner and his friends. She'd seemed fairly excited about it and he might be able to gleam a little information about how he was reacting to his crush being in love with someone else. Still, he'd warned her he'd likely be gone all night, so she shouldn't be too surprised or disappointed by his absence.

Rather than risk waking the child by arriving in her room at this hour, the genie went straight to his lamp. From his combination residence/prison, he had at least a limited awareness of his surroundings if he was paying attention. He spared a quick look to assure that Amanda, curled up snug with her teddy bear, was resting easily before he decided to catch some sleep himself. He could question the girl about her day later.

* * *

Even while he was distracted by the fact his latest plan would soon come to fruition, Crocker still managed to make time for a rather intense pop quiz for his class. After all, he needed something to bide his time with as he waited for the dance to occur. Writing up the quiz helped him remain patient and knowing all the failing grades he would be soon delivering made the teacher smile. The cheer that stamping bright red F's brought would be a fun opening act for the evening's entertainment.

While Turner currently wore a rather concerned expression as he tried to recall the necessary facts to answer the questions, Crocker had seen the boy more relaxed than he'd appeared all week. The teacher took that as a sign that his student had obtained a date for the dance. Whatever the boy and his _**fairies**_ had done to gain the attention of Trixie Tang, it seemed to have worked if Turner no longer looked so frantic.

Yes, his plan was coming to fruition. He would expose the boy and his magically-obtained girlfriend to the witnesses at the dance, explaining the impossibility of Turner gaining such a date. Everyone would realize that _**fairies**_ were the only logical explanations. This evening would finally prove that the hunchbacked teacher was right. He would finally prove that _**fairy godparents**_ were real.

"Mr. Crocker, you do realize that you're laughing, don't you?" commented Elmer nervously.

Frowning at the bespectacled child who was interrupting his thoughts, the man stated, "One minute left on the quiz."

The warning sent his students into a faster frenzy, pencils scrambling frantically as they tried to write down a helpful answer before they ran out of time. The children once more distracted, Crocker went back to imagining his coming success.

* * *

Lunch was rarely particularly appetizing, but it wasn't too bad today. The macaroni and cheese was practically edible, so Timmy ate it without complaint. His thoughts wandering aimlessly, the boy could hear his friends discussing the robots AJ built as dates and warnings about electrocution if they got wet were exchanged. Further away, he could hear other students talking about a number of topics. The Snow Ball was repeatedly brought up, most of the girls discussing their new dresses rather excitedly. He doubted that he would ever understand that fascination with clothes, but the shrill and excited voices of the girls were speaking of little else. The pink-hatted boy couldn't help having his own thoughts be drawn in that direction as well. Especially since he now had someone to go with. But it also sparked a small concern he'd not had before.

"I wonder what she's going to wear to the dance," he muttered.

"Who? Trixie?" asked Cosmo, disguised as a green apple on the boy's tray.

He shook his head, "No, not her. Well, yes, I'm curious about what she'll look like at the Snow Ball. And what she and Sanjay will do. And why in the world she picked _him_. But I wasn't talking about her. I meant Amanda. What is she going to wear to the dance?"

He stared down at his lunch tray thoughtfully. Cosmo stared back at him in confusion. Poof, appearing to be nothing more than a cookie, looked curious. Wanda, disguised as a small carton of milk, seemed to have made the same realization that Timmy did.

"I kind of asked at the last minute and she wouldn't ask her parents for a new dress like some of the girls are getting," he explained, poking his food with a fork. "In fact, her mom is sort of…"

"Yeah," his godmother agreed softly, apparently recalling the encounter and understood his concerns about the woman. Hopefully, she suggested, "Maybe Amanda will have a dress already that she can wear."

"Maybe," he answered slowly.

The boy stared across the cafeteria, imagining all the girls scattered through the room wearing colorful dresses. The brunette girl would already stand out at the dance due to being younger than anyone else. If she didn't have a dress that measured up to the others or even lacked a dress entirely, she would be quickly targeted by the less-than-friendly popular kids. Timmy knew that she was going only because he asked her as a favor. It was his responsibility to ensure that she didn't suffer for this favor. The dance was supposed to be fun, not an excuse to let the younger child be mocked. And it wouldn't help him to avoid mockery himself if his date was turned into a spectacle by someone like Tad or Chad.

Timmy repeated, this time thoughtfully, "Maybe. But maybe not."

* * *

She was a beautiful and amazing person. He'd always liked her, even if she would barely notice his presence. That was just the way the world worked. Her dark hair and cheerful smiles were just too wonderful for the average person to experience. That didn't stop him from remaining near her anyway. Besides, he would do anything to make her happy and he would stand as a friend if that was all she desired of him.

Well, he would stand as her friend as long as her sister was far away. Vicky was a scary person and anyone with sense would flee the scene when the red-head appeared. He wanted to attend Tootie's birthday party that day, but his courage failed him when confronted with the evil babysitter. In fact, he wasn't the bravest person in any situation. He was a little bit of a coward, but Tootie tended to bring out the best in him. But he still had his limits and the red-haired teenager was it. He would, however, remain her true and loyal friend when Vicky wasn't a factor. And if that meant making the occasional suggestion to assist in her endless pursuit of Timmy Turner, a boy who didn't realize the girl's worth, he would be happy to do so if it would make her happy.

"Um… Hey, Tootie," he greeted slowly as the final bell of the day rang. "I don't suppose Timmy ever asked you to be his date, did he?"

Giving the brunet boy a quick glance, she admitted, "No, he didn't. And now I don't have time to find anyone else, Travis."

"Well, I have an idea," he continued, feeling a little more hopeful. "You need a proper date to make him jealous. To make him realize that you are an amazing person that he would be lucky to have as a girlfriend. And, if you want, I'll go with you to make him jealous. I can be your date. What do you think?"

The bespectacled girl frowned momentarily in thought before gaining that cheerful smile he enjoyed so much. Tootie grabbed her classmate's hands in excitement.

"That's a perfect idea, Travis. If Timmy became jealous, he would realize that he loves me too. He'll ask me to forgive him for being so foolish. He'll ask me to be his girlfriend and everything will be perfect," she described, a distant and blissful look in her eyes. "Thank you."

The brunet boy did his best to ignore her excited words about the pink-hatted individual who didn't deserve her love. Instead, he enjoyed the cheerful tone she used and the smile that she eventually directed towards Travis as she thanked him. If she was content with the situation and he was allowed to go to the dance with her, he couldn't be happier.

"No problem, Tootie," answered the boy. "I'm glad I could help."

* * *

She'd known that Timmy's concerns about the young girl would not be forgotten, regardless of his short attention span. Her godchild might have his moments of selfishness, but he also had similar instances of kindness that he would direct towards those of importance of him. And, along with his family and god-family, he had a tendency to take care of his friends. So Wanda found herself fluttering outside Amanda's window, disguised as a bird, as the child went through her clothes with a small frown.

The magical godparent was here to do a little recon at Timmy's request. If she learned that Amanda's situation was as bad as the fairy and her godson suspected, Wanda would inform him. She didn't know for certain what the bucked-tooth boy had in mind, but her instincts weren't warning of any disaster on the horizon. She didn't sense anything about to go horribly wrong.

From her perch, Wanda could easily observe Amanda. The brunette child had arrived at her home, scurrying past her father like a quiet mouse as the man prepared for what the fairy guessed to be a pleasant evening with his wife. While she briefly lost sight of the girl near her bed and nightstand, the angle of her perch making that corner of the room hard to see through the window, she could easily observe the child going through a rather meager collection of outfits. Most did not appear to even be the proper size for a girl her age, being either too large or too small. It was as if someone had absently grabbed a mixture of clothes for a child without a single concern about wasting time checking to see if they fit. There was a shapeless neon yellow dress among the collection, but it was clear as Amanda held it up that the baggy shape was too large. The only other possibility was a rather small grey one that was obviously meant for a much younger girl.

Once more, Wanda couldn't help wondering about the brunette child lacking a godparent of her own to take care of the girl and wishing there were more fairies to help these kids who slip between the cracks. There were simply not enough godparents to go around and some who deserved magical help were left to face the world alone. But Amanda, at least, had gained Timmy's friendship and perhaps even his help.

Having seen enough, the disguised fairy raised her wand. The pink bird vanished with a _poof_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Travis is based on the boy who tried to attend Tootie's birthday party at Mike E. Mozzarella's Pizza Fun House, carrying a purple present and greeting her cheerfully right before he spotted Vicky and ran away screaming. He didn't have a name, but he apparently cared enough about the girl to try coming to the party in the first place. So I gave him a name and put him in. After all, Tootie does need someone to go with to the Snow Ball.


	14. A Cinderella Story

His intention to check on the girl before she left for class had completely failed. The genie's late night had resulted in him sleeping through most of the morning. By the time the movement of the lava lamp managed to overcome his deeply exhausted state enough to actually awaken him and capture his attention, Norm had found himself in Amanda's backpack and quite likely sitting in the middle of a math lesson. The dark-haired genie decided that he could take a little time to watch the gamblers in Los Vegas go broke and check out the tabloids while she finished school. Brittany Brittany's impromptu nap ended up on a number of different papers, just as he predicted, so he considered his earlier actions towards her an enjoyable success.

To make up for his continued absence, he decided to pick up a few chocolate chip cookies for both of them. Both he and the girl liked the snacks, so it would be rather enjoyable and he might be able to bribe the brunette child into describing Turner's date failure in great detail.

Arriving in her room with a _gong_ , cookies fresh from the bakery, he casually greeted, "Hey, kid. Sorry I kept missing you, Shorty. I've been a little busy with…"

He trailed off, staring at the room now that he noticed the details of the surroundings. The normally empty space was filled with scattered clothes. Every outfit she owned, even if it wasn't actually that many, were draped across the floor or the bed. Amanda was holding a radioactive-yellow dress with a resigned expression on her face. Apparently he'd missed a few developments.

"Was there some kind of clothes explosion in here? Or is this your idea of redecorating?" Norm asked. "Because I'm not quite sure this is the look you should be going for. Maybe a little more 'ranch style' and a little less 'random style.' Want to tell me what you're up to?"

Her eyes glanced around the room, paused briefly on the ugly dress in her hands, and finally met his gaze. The brunette child slowly walked over to her bed and picked up the teddy bear. She held the toy tightly in her right hand while the dress dangled from her left. And she kept eye contact with the genie the entire time.

"It's a little complicated," she began slowly. "There's a dance for the older students tonight and Timmy couldn't find anyone to go with. And he really wanted someone to go with him to the dance so he wouldn't be embarrassed."

Norm carefully slid his sunglasses further, ensuring that his expression was concealed behind the reflective surfaces. He already knew of the boy's difficulties since he actually _caused_ them, but a suspicion of an unexpected side effect of his actions was beginning to dawn on him.

"He really needed a date and, since I'm a girl, Timmy asked me to go as a favor," explained Amanda. "It isn't really an actual date or anything. I'm just going with him as a friend. That way, he won't have to go alone. And it's supposed to be fun. But the only nice and fancy clothes I have that I can wear is this."

She held up the neon yellow monstrosity again as the genie silently cursed himself for not predicting this outcome. He was an intelligent and experienced magical creature. He should have foreseen the possibility that Turner might choose a female friend to accompany him rather than go alone. The girl he loved might be going with another boy, but that didn't necessarily mean that the bucked-tooth loser would give up easily. Norm knew he was getting too sloppy. It was hard organizing revenge strategies while keeping his young master ignorant and safe from his actions.

"And I just know that it isn't as pretty or expensive as the other girls. What if the dress embarrasses him anyway?" the girl continued. "He might decides it was a bad idea to invite me." Then, in a quieter voice, she added, "Or that it was a bad idea to be my friend. I just can't compare with the other kids and I don't deserve this. I'm going to mess this up."

Trying to distract the child from this rather depressing train of thought, the genie handed her the cookie while placing the stuffed toy back on the bed and carefully observed, "School dances aren't really that big a deal, kid. This isn't that Cinderella fairy tale with a rich prince and a kingdom on the line. It is just supposed to be something fun. Turner won't be upset over an outfit. You don't have a lot of fashion choices, admittedly. But there has to be better options available than the yellow nightmare." He picked up a maroon t-shirt and frowned, "Does half of this stuff even _fit_ you?"

"Mom usually buys my clothes at the second-hand store," she remarked, her eyes dropping to the floor momentarily as she took a small bite of the cookie. "She says she gets a discount if she buys the box of assorted girl's clothes and she doesn't have to spend all day looking at sizes or having me try stuff on. Some of it fits me and I can grow into the bigger clothes. Like the yellow dress almost fits me now."

That was it. His very limited patience with the girl's parents was now completely gone. They ignored her, destroyed any self-worth that the child might possess, and demonstrated a number of ways how little they cared about her. They couldn't even bother buying her clothes that fit. They simply bought used outfits in bulk and hoped that at least some were the correct size. It wasn't as if they lacked the funds; they simply couldn't bother to make the effort. She was left with an ill-fitting and hideous dress to attend a dance in, completely certain that something would destroy part of her meager happiness. And it was all due to those idiots who called themselves parents. They should be hurled into the sun and allowed to fry. The world wasn't fair, but this girl's life was definitely pushing it.

All thoughts of violence against Mr. and Mrs. Adams were quickly dismissed, however. Any ideas about vengeance, about how his intentions to make Turner suffer had been thwarted, fell aside as he stared at the brunette girl. She wasn't crying; he'd never actually seen the child in tears. She was, however, quite upset about how she would be seen at the Snow Ball, fearful of what the result of appearance might be, and resigned to her limited options. If he was still more concerned with making Turner suffer, the genie would have suggested she simply not go. It would keep her free of being in a situation that would make her uncomfortable and it would leave the bucked-tooth loser dateless. He could play chess with the girl while picturing Turner alone.

But he honestly couldn't care less about the boy at that moment. He wanted Amanda to be happy. She deserved to be happy. And nothing would interfere with that if he could help it. Everything else was of little importance in comparison. He came to a decision.

"Okay, Cinderella," Norm stated, taking the neon dress from the girl and tossed it aside. "If you want to go to the ball, you're going in style."

There was no excuse, no rationalizing away his actions as something more selfish. Games of chess could be explained as being entertaining for the genie after spending so many stretches of time in solitude. Pizza and other meals could be excused by pointing out he ate it too and suggesting that it was mostly for himself. Every action could be rationalized away as benefiting him in some manner, even if only to keep his odd hobby interesting. This was different. There was no reason for his actions except to make a certain brunette child smile.

This was complete proof that he cared for his young master. Far, far more than was likely smart. Denying it was impossible now. It had occurred slowly, but surely over time. He was absolutely attached to the kid to the point that his fellow genies would stare at him oddly if they ever found out. Not that he would ever tell them. But he could not even make the attempt to deny that he liked the sweet child. And, honestly, Norm didn't mind acknowledging that fact nearly as much as he once would have.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked slowly, her eyes widening in confusion.

He didn't immediately respond to her question. He was thinking through his knowledge of fashion for this decade and rejecting the more mature options as inappropriate for the eight year old. He might not have a female's talent at it, but he could still manage to figure out the changing tastes in clothes of humanity. Finally, inspiration struck the genie and he snapped his fingers.

A soft _gong_ produced a new outfit, one intended specifically for that girl and no one else. Amanda would never ask for such a thing and would not believe she deserved it. That was part of the reason why she was different than any other master and precisely why he would give it to her.

The magically-produced dress was a teal color that perfectly matched her usual turtleneck and bow in shade. The style was simple and elegant with slightly poofy sleeves. The fabric had a slight shimmer and sparkle to it that would work well with the less complicated and plain shape of the dress. It wasn't the type of outfit that the genie would expect to find on his dates, but it was pretty regardless.

As the girl stared down in amazement at the shimmering fabric that now enshrouded her, Norm nodded to himself thoughtfully. Turning his attention to her head, he snapped his fingers again.

With another _gong_ , her straight hair arranged itself into a series of brown curls pulled back by her usual teal bow, now made of the same slightly-sparkling fabric as the dress. Make-up, while expected of teenage girls and young ladies of both the human and genie variety, would run the risk of making his master look like a child playing dress-up or simply foolish. Besides, matching the right colors and figuring out the application of the appropriate amounts of the substances were not really part of his expertise. It would be simpler to leave that alone. She really didn't need all that gloopy stuff anyway.

"And while glass slippers seem so impractical, considering how easy it would be to break them and cut your feet, I'm sure that I can devise a more sensible substitute that is less fragile," he stated. He quickly _gonged_ up a small hand mirror, held it up so that she could see her reflection, and carefully asked, "Do you think _this_ will embarrass Turner?"

Her eyes wide as she took in her altered appearance, the brunette child shook her head slowly. She didn't seem to be able to find her voice yet. Her half-eaten cookie was placed on the bed with awkward movements as her free hand delicately touched first the dress and then her styled hair.

Continuing with his questioning, Norm asked, "Do _you_ like it?"

"It's… beautiful," she whispered. "I don't deserve…"

"Yes, you do," he interrupted. "You deserve to go to the dance and have fun with your friends. You deserve at least that much out of your life, kid. And I'm not sending you out in that blinding yellow, pathetic excuse for a dress. It was a crime against fashion and my eyesight." He snapped his fingers again and a pair of teal slippers with bows on top appeared on her feet with a _gong_. Still holding the mirror, he added softly, "This looks much better. And I don't just mean the outfit. You're going to impress a few people, kid."

She stared at both her reflection and the genie for a few moments. Then a smile began to form. It was a warm and friendly one, a smile that he was rather happy to see from the girl. The expression also held a tiny hint of confidence. That was something he'd never expected to see from her and made the entire thing worth it. He'd made the child feel special, something that her parents obviously never did and something she never viewed herself as.

"Thank you, Norm," smiled Amanda, touching the shimmering dress again. "Thank you so much."

Then, hesitating only a few seconds in indecision, the girl took a step forward and gave him a quick hug. It was clear from the stiffness of the child's grip that she still half-expected to be scolded for her forwardness. Mostly the genie was too shocked by her actions to react. He'd frozen when her arms wrapped around his waist, proving once again that he would never be able to predict Amanda's behavior since she wasn't like any other human he'd ever dealt with. Norm didn't have a great deal of experience, even after all the millennia of his life he'd spent on Earth, with being hugged by children. Actually, most types of friendly physical contact that didn't lead to more private activities were rather few and far between for him. Part of the unpopularity of his species and everything. People just don't go around hugging genies at random. Except for his little exception to every rule he knew, apparently.

As soon as Amanda completed her impromptu act of thanks, he arms and eyes dropped down uncertainly. She looked nervous, almost afraid to find out that she might have done something wrong. His stunned expression probably wasn't helping. He needed to say something before she lost that brief spark of confidence.

"Sorry, I'm not generally a big advocate of public displays of affection," he remarked, trying to add enough of a teasing tone so she would know he wasn't upset with the girl. "They aren't typically something I participate in." Changing the topic quickly, he asked, "Is Turner meeting you here or at school?"

"Here," she answered, her gaze meeting his again. "And he should be here soon." She briefly glanced at her teddy bear and the lava lamp before commenting, "I can't take those with me, right?"

Knowing that she felt some type of comfort from those items, Norm replied, "It _would_ be a little weird dragging your backpack along. Don't worry too much. You'll be fine and you'll have a great time."

"Thanks," smiled the brunette child. "For everything."

Quietly, he responded, "Anytime, kid." Clearly his throat slightly, he added quickly, "I'll go keep an eye out for your date."

Vanishing from her room with a _gong_ , the genie barely spared a thought for Turner and his failed revenge scheme. Instead, he kept seeing the smile on Amanda's face as she looked at the dress. Norm felt rather proud of her appearance and of the fact he'd managed to produce that reaction from the young girl. He also had the occasional moment where he came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be so bad if she gave him a hug again some time. After all, denying his affection for the child was too much effort and admitting that he truly liked her was far more enjoyable. Not that he planned to share that information anytime soon.

* * *

His suit on, Timmy gave himself a final look in the mirror to ensure that he looked presentable. Standing in his bedroom, the bucked-tooth boy was almost ready. He was missing a few articles, like his bow tie, but that would be dealt with soon enough. After all, his fairies would need somewhere to hide.

Poof was currently waking up from his nap. The infant would be up past his normal bedtime tonight because of the dance and it wouldn't be a good idea for his god-brother to get tired and cranky. So the small fairy had gone to sleep as soon as they arrived home. Cosmo was also just waking up from a nap. Technically he didn't need one, but the boy wasn't going to point that out to the green-haired fairy. If his godparent thought he also needed a nap to keep from getting cranky and crying, Timmy would let Cosmo snooze. But the pair was waking up now, watching him examine the suit.

Wanda was on a mission at the boy's request and he expected his godmother to return at any second. In fact, as if summoned by his thoughts, there was a _poof_ of magic and the pink-haired fairy was floating in the room abruptly.

Timmy, smiling in greetings at her, asked, "Well?"

"Sport, I wish I could tell you that your suspicions were wrong, but…," she began before trailing off and shaking her head. "Amanda was trying to find something to wear to the dance, but wasn't having much luck. It didn't look like she had many options and she wasn't happy about it."

The boy nodded, halfway expecting this result. Parents who complain over their children having friends over and imaginary messes wouldn't be the type to get the daughter very many fancy outfits. But he already had a plan to fix that.

"Any of you familiar with the fairy tale of Cinderella?" Timmy remarked casually.

Cosmo raised his hand, "The one about the girl who did lots of cleaning, rode to a party in a piece of produce, and got married because she misplaced a highly-breakable piece of footwear?"

"That's the one," the brunet boy confirmed. "I was thinking we could recreate the story. Or at least part of it."

"You've got it," announced the green-haired fairy cheerfully, already raising his wand.

With a quick _poof_ , a number of small rodents, a large pumpkin, and what looked like a pair of clear sneakers appeared on the boy's bed. The glass shoes, bumped by one of the mice, promptly fell off and broke. The other mice quickly converged on the gourd and began chewing. Even before the vermin started eating, Timmy could see a face carved into the pumpkin. Somehow, he wasn't surprised with his godfather's actions.

"Cosmo, I don't quite think that's what he had in mind," stated Wanda dryly. She raised her own wand and the glass shards, rodents, and the jack-o-lantern vanished with another _poof_. "Let's wait until Timmy finishes talking this time."

Her husband complained, "But… but I wanted to do the song that goes with the story. I just need to remember the words that I'm supposed to sing. Bingo bong beep? Bippy bomba boom? Billy Bobby Ben?"

Shaking her head slightly, the pink-haired fairy remarked, "Cosmo, I love you, but I really hope that Poof takes after me when it comes to brains when he grows up."

"And after me in looks, charm, and wish-granting?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh… Sure, let's go with that," she responded quickly.

"Poof poof?" asked the infant fairy.

"Guys, focus a minute," interrupted Timmy. "Can I continue?" When the trio of magical beings nodded, the boy explained, "I wasn't really focusing on the whole pumpkin carriages or glass slippers thing with my idea. The main part of this story we're copying is the whole 'fairy godmother shows up to help the girl go to the ball' set-up. Do you remember what we did for Tootie's birthday party?"

"You mean when you ignored her numerous invitations, she had a horrible day, and the power of guilt began to hit you so that you had to find a way to fix it?" summarized the green-haired fairy. "And she almost revealed our existence before you kissed her to distract her and Mr. Crocker was carried away by a helicopter?"

"Yes, that birthday party," the boy answered dryly. Continuing, he reminded, "I loaned her both of you so she could wish up her ideal party. Part of the problem in that case was that she wasn't warned about the rules first and I loaned both of you, meaning I couldn't do any damage control to keep Crocker at bay. I won't make the same mistakes this time. Cosmo and Poof can stay with me and Wanda can help Amanda. At least until the dance is over."

There was silence for a moment before the pink-haired fairy remarked, "I believe that might be one of your better plans. So I'll be playing the part of the fairy godmother in the story?"

"Well, you _are_ one," her godson pointed out. "I can't think of anyone who would do a better job." Taking a deep breath, he announced, "I wish that Wanda would be Amanda's fairy godparent until the end of the Snow Ball."

Holding up wands and a rattle, the trio of fairies attempted to grant his request. Unfortunately, the sound produced wasn't the familiar _poof_ , but was instead the equally familiar and less welcomed sound of a raspberry, _pfft,_ that indicated a failed wish. It was a far too common problem, even if he was fairly knowledgeable of the more commonly-encountered rules.

Frowning slightly, Wanda glanced at her wand. She even shook it a little. It was clear that she full expected it to work and the boy was also a little confused at the lack of results.

Timmy closed his eyes in concentration, muttering, "Okay, I'm not trying to win a contest, interfering with true love, or even messing with any major holidays like Christmas again. So I would have to guess that the problem would be her qualifications."

"You can only loan your fairies to a child twice as miserable as you," she confirmed, still staring at her wand suspiciously.

Cosmo asked, "Does that mean Amanda is too cheerful?"

"As crazy as it sounds, it's the only thing that makes sense," the pink-haired fairy nodded. She looked towards Timmy, "Do you have any other ideas, Sport?"

The brunet boy shook his head, trying to figure out how in the world Amanda wasn't twice as miserable as him with her family and lack of fairies. And trying to help her in this situation was a little difficult if he couldn't loan her his fairies. It wasn't like he could just give her a dress or something without it seeming weird.

"I don't know," answered Timmy. "I'll try to figure out something when we get there."

Without another word, the fairies vanished from sight as a pink bowtie, a green watch, and a purple flower materialized. Giving himself a quick glance in the mirror to ensure his god-family was securely in place, the boy headed towards the door. His parents would likely comment on his appearance and wish him a good time at the dance, but his thoughts were busy trying to handle the problem of how to help the girl he was attending with.

* * *

It was beautiful. The dress shimmered slightly whenever the light touched it. She still couldn't believe that it was truly hers. That Norm made it just for her, repeatedly stating that she deserved it. It was so pretty. Amanda couldn't help thinking that the dress and hairdo was making _her_ pretty. It was… nice.

She could clearly remember Grandma brushing out the girl's hair when she was younger. Every time, the woman would finish by pulling the child's hair back with a bow and kissing the top of her grandchild's head, telling her how pretty her little girl was. It always made Amanda smile and give her a hug.

Which was probably why she ended up giving the genie one. If she'd really thought about what she was doing, she would not have made such a risky gesture. But even though she instantly realized that it might be a bad idea to hug Norm, he didn't seem overly upset. A little uncomfortable, but not mad. She wouldn't do it again, however. Even if it felt so nice, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

Knowing it would be better to go wait outside rather than risk having her parents upset about having strange children ringing the doorbell, Amanda carefully pulled her door open a crack. The rest of the house was dark, meaning they were already gone. That meant she wouldn't have to deal with any awkward questions about the origin of the dress and whether she was wasting their hard-earned money on frivolous items. She knew she wasn't doing anything wrong in this case, but she wouldn't be able to explain properly and it would waste too much of Mom and Dad's time. They were busy people with busy lives and she wouldn't get in their way.

The ringing of the doorbell, a clear and forceful sound, pulled the child out of her thoughts. Amanda smiled slightly as she headed towards the front door. Between the idea of an evening with her friend, Timmy, at the dance and the beautiful and amazing dress that Norm gave her to wear, she couldn't wait to go and enjoy the Snow Ball.


	15. Snow Ball

Appearing on her doorstep with a limo parked on the corner due to a quickly muttered wish, he was still trying to devise a semi-believable excuse to give Amanda a dress and an explanation for why he would have such a thing. It wasn't like he had the excuse of having a sister who could have owned one. Timmy had absolutely no possible way to give her an outfit without making it absolutely obvious that he got it especially for her. Would she actually accept an obvious sign of charity like that? Especially if she worried about anything related to her causing someone problems? The standard "internet" remark would not work in this case.

Half-baked ideas and excuses were still fluttering through his head as the door opened and Timmy's jaw dropped. Despite what the information delivered by his godmother would suggest, the girl wasn't in dire need of a dress for the dance. The usually timid girl stood there with a surprisingly cheerful smile and an even more surprisingly beautiful dress on. The fabric sparkled and her hair was curled. Even an idiot, even _Cosmo_ , would have been able to conclude that she was perfectly suited to attend the dance. The only question was _how_?

"Hi, Timmy," she greeted. "I'm ready."

Still gaping slightly at the sight, he remarked, "You look great. That's a really nice dress."

Still smiling, though it turned a little shy again, the girl answered, "Thanks. I… I hope this is okay."

"It's perfect. We're going to have a great time," he reassured. Then, feeling a little playful, he bowed towards her and remarked in a rather proper and polished tone, "Might I escort the lady for this evening."

Amanda hesitated a moment before she seemed to realize the game and responded with a quick curtsy, "I would be delighted."

Laughing a little, Timmy offered her his arm and led her towards the magically-provided vehicle. He might not be going with Trixie, but he intended to have fun regardless.

* * *

Half-hidden behind the corner of the house and dressed in his trench coat, Norm watched the bucked-tooth boy arrive and ring the doorbell. He was in the perfect position to view the loser's first reaction to his master's new appearance. The dropped jaw and stunned expression should have made the genie laugh out loud, but he was too busy enjoying the smile on Amanda's face as she stepped outside.

He was rather proud to see the girl in her dress, smiling and on her way to the dance. It used to be that the genie wouldn't feel pride for anything that didn't consist of scamming and manipulating chumps or winning over a particularly attractive female. This was different. And, in many ways, this felt like a far better reason to feel proud. It was just kind of odd to get used to having such a reaction.

Of course, he also felt a very strong desire to quietly curse the pink-hatted boy with the worst case of poison ivy ever if he managed to ruin this night for Amanda. That was a far more acceptable and familiar reaction: evil thoughts against Turner. Granted, these particular evil thoughts were born from a protective desire, but violent and malicious acts were still something he specialized in. The concept of channeling that protective instinct that the girl somehow managed to provoke into an overreacting act of violence if the boy made her upset was proving to be a rather satisfying idea.

Grinning to himself as the limo pulled away from the curve and headed straight towards the school, Norm snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_. There was no reason why the dance couldn't have at least another chaperone. Just in case Turner decided to be an insensitive idiot that the genie could smite without any feelings of guilt concerning Amanda's friendship with the boy.

* * *

It was time. His plan would go into effect tonight. Crocker stared at the arriving stream of students as they stepped into the gymnasium. As each pair entered, the anticipation mounted. Turner would be exposed, his _**fairies**_ revealed, and everyone would know that the hunched-back teacher was right. He was right.

Currently, he loomed next to the snack table with a clear view of where the formally-dressed students entered. There was a small circular clearing around the teacher that none of the students would cross. It probably had something to do with the manic laughing and crazed whispering about how close to victory he was. Crocker didn't care. All of them would soon rue the day they ever doubted him.

Eventually, the teacher spotted her. Trixie Tang, dressed in her very expensive and undoubtedly brand-new outfit, entered the gymnasium. Every student in the room trained their eyes on her and her date, the whispers already starting about how strange her date choice is. Leaning forward in anticipation, Crocker drew in breath to shout about the impossibility of Trixie going to the dance with…

Not Turner. The man's jaw dropped as he spotted the bespectacled boy in a suit and gelled hair beside her. It was another one of his students, Sanjay. That didn't make sense since he was even further down the social hierarchy than Turner was from his understanding. It was inconceivable that the bespectacled boy would manage to steal the girl away from the boy with _**fairy godparents**_.

Trying to relax before he completely lost it, Crocker took a deep breath. Just because Turner didn't end up with Trixie Tang did not mean that his plan was completely destroyed. As long as the boy arrived with a girl far beyond his capability to gain without the use of magic, he could make this work. There were other popular girls. That Veronica girl, maybe.

Tapping his fingers nervously against the table, Crocker watched other familiar faces file into the room as the music began to play. AJ and Chester's dates were not immediately recognizable, being rather shiny and sparking at random moments, but the teacher quickly wrote it off as a pair of new foreign exchange students. The longer it took for Turner to arrive, the more doubts tried to assert themselves into the man's head. What if the boy simply didn't come? What if the child was hit by a bus? How would he ever prove the existence of _**fairy godparents**_ then?

By the point where the teacher was about to completely snap, the bucked-tooth boy finally came into view. Crocker leaned forward again, trying to identify the brown-haired child's date in order to see if his plan could still be salvaged. Then, a little meekly, a smaller girl stepped into view. It took the man a few moments to recognize her, but then he realized that his strategy had crumbled to pieces. Rather than bringing Trixie or another beautiful and popular girl to show off and impress others, Turner was attending the social function with that shy child that ran into him after class once. Instead of a date, he brought a _friend_.

"How could it have gone so wrong?" shrieked Crocker, raising his fists upwards as he proclaimed his disbelief. "How? It was fool-proof. I could have done it. I could have proven it once and for all. But it's all ruined."

Anyone else who abruptly decided to scream at the sky in the middle of a crowded room would quickly become the center of attention. However, due to the prolonged exposure of the student population to his antics, most people barely spared him a momentary glance before returning to dancing or socializing. Even Turner didn't even give him a second look.

Frustrated, but still determined, the man abandoned the snack table. He would go to the Crocker Cave and review his plans. There must be something he could try. He could figure out what went wrong with this strategy and begin planning his next strike. He would never be outsmarted by a child. Never!

Starting to laugh quietly to himself, Crocker heard one of the students mutter, "I thought he would never leave. I was getting thirsty."

* * *

She didn't know what to expect. She'd never even tried to imagine what a school dance would be like before all the discussions about the Snow Ball began. And she certainly never dreamed of going herself until Timmy invited her and Norm gave her the most beautiful dress in the world. Amanda didn't know what she might have imagined if she was ever so foolish as to dream of such an impossibility, but this was still amazing.

The gymnasium was decorated with white and icy-blue streamers that ran along the walls in small swooping curves. Paper snowflakes dangled from the ceiling on fishing line, giving the impression that a light winter storm was taking up residence in their school. Music played over a couple of speakers set at the far end of the room and a table with snacks and drinks rested near another wall. Boys in black suits and girls in dresses that consisted of every color of the rainbow moved across the floor quite happily. It was slightly overwhelming and maybe even a little exciting.

"What do you think?" asked Timmy cheerfully.

"It's… amazing," she whispered.

"Awesome," he replied, ignoring Crocker yelling something across the room.

"Well, don't you look adorable," remarked Principal Waxelplax, walking over to the entering students. "Wasn't this dance a wonderful idea? I'll have to compliment Mr. Crocker for coming up with this. After he's apparently done screaming at the sky and stomping away in a huff." She shook her head at the teacher as he stormed out of the gymnasium before turning her attention back towards Amanda and Timmy, "Have a good time."

"Crocker's idea," the boy muttered as the woman walked away. "That's so weird…" He was quiet for a few moments before shaking his head and glancing out across the dance floor, "Hey, there's AJ and Chester. Let's go say 'hi'."

The brown-haired boy led her towards his two friends. Both of them had rather metallic-looking figures beside them, with glowing yellow lights for eyes and blond wigs that barely stayed in place. Chester looked particularly attached to his artificial date.

"Hey, Amanda," greeted AJ. "Having fun? Meet Betty-bot and Megan-tron, the robot girls I made for us."

"Mine's Megan-tron," the blond boy identified cheerfully. "She likes possums and indestructible braces." He sighed happily, "And as long as I don't take her swimming, she's perfect."

She resisted the urge to giggle at the rather odd expression on Chester's face and the strange looks that Timmy and AJ were directing towards him. It was a mixture of concern, unease, and embarrassment to be standing near him. The smart inventor of the machines quickly glanced around, apparently trying to spot anything to break the awkward silence.

"Look, there's Trixie and Sanjay," he exclaimed, pointing across the gym floor.

Glancing in that direction, Amanda spotted the older girl that she'd seen before. Dressed in a light blue dress, the dark-haired girl was already slow dancing with Sanjay. She looked happy as she moved back and forth to the music.

"She's pretty," Amanda whispered, staring at both the tall girl dancing gracefully with her unusual partner and the beautiful dress she wore. If she'd not been wearing the amazing outfit provided by Norm, she would felt especially awkward and ugly. She couldn't say that the younger girl was prettier than anyone, but the magically-produced fabric was certainly more wonderful than all the other dresses in the room simply because it was a gift. Regardless, Trixie had a smile on her face and almost every eye in the room was on her. Amanda finished, "And she looks like she's having a good time."

"Yeah," mumbled Timmy, looking rather uneasy about the whole thing as he watched Trixie and Sanjay dance. Shaking his head briefly, he turned towards Amanda, "Would you like some punch?"

Hesitating a moment, she nodded and he vanished across the room towards the snack table. Glancing around, the girl noticed that the other boys and their robotic dates were dancing. This left her standing awkwardly alone amongst the crowd of older kids.

* * *

Dancing with Travis while waiting for Timmy's arrival was fun, but her focus wasn't on the rather friendly boy with a rather dreamy expression as they moved. It was on the entrance. That meant Tootie spotted him the moment he stepped into the room. She also saw the _girl_ with him. His _date_.

She was young. Younger than Timmy. Younger than Tootie. She was just a little kid. With brown hair and a teal dress, she sort of cringed near the boy as if she wasn't certain how to behave without him nearby. It was frustrating. What did that _child_ have that she didn't? How could this stranger just show up and steal away her precious Timmy? It wasn't fair. She did everything she could imagine to gain his attention, but it was never enough. Now he was with some other girl. One that wasn't as popular or mature as that Trixie Tang. It was bad enough when he was competing against the most popular kid at school. She would not bow down to another trying to steal her true love's heart.

"I'll be right back, Travis," Tootie remarked as soon as Timmy left the brunette girl's side.

She wouldn't let the younger child have him without a fight. If she could survive living with Vicky everyday of her life, then surely the bespectacled girl could manage to fend off the competition for Timmy's affection. She needed to defend her territory, assert her right to pursue the boy before this newcomer could capture his attention permanently.

"Hello," the bespectacled girl greeted venomously, glaring at the younger child. "I don't know you, but let's get one thing straight. Timmy is mine. He's going to be my boyfriend. I'm going to marry him someday and we'll live in a nice house together. So any plans of stealing him away from me should be forgotten right now, got it?"

"I'm sorry… I don't…," mumbled the younger child, blinking in surprise and confusion. "What?"

"You can't be his girlfriend. It isn't fair," she declared firmly.

"I'm not. He doesn't want me as a… girlfriend. I'm here as a friend only… As a favor. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that…" she explained quickly, her eyes dropping to the ground.

"Wait, you're… _not_ trying to steal Timmy?" asked Tootie, staring at her as her voice began to relax.

She shook her head quickly, "No. He's my friend. He, Chester, and AJ say I'm not even really a girl since I'm too young. I'm sorry"

"So he isn't falling for you? You're not dating and I still have a chance?"

The smaller child nodded, "That's right. He asked me to come as a favor. I'm sorry. We're just supposed to have fun."

Feeling completely foolish, Tootie apologized, "Now I feel horrible. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just get frustrated with Timmy continuing to play hard to get. I want him to love me back, but he never does. And when I saw you come in with him…"

"It's okay. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you jealous or anything. I would never come in between you and him."

"My name's Tootie," she smiled, trying to break any remaining tension.

"Mine's Amanda," the girl responded. After a moment, she added, "You really like Timmy, right?"

"Well, 'like' might be a bit of an understatement. I absolutely love him with all my heart and I dream of the day when he will return my affections. I've told him thousands of times, demonstrated my feelings both publicly and privately, and I've offered him my heart more times than I can count."

Amanda smoothed out her dress slightly and suggested slowly, "Maybe he needs time. I don't know much about this sort of stuff, but maybe… he's not ready for that. Maybe he just needs a friend, not a girlfriend. And… if you try being friendly and subtle… he might eventually start… liking you back."

The younger girl seemed nervous and uncertain even suggesting something to her, but Tootie actually paused to consider her words. She'd always come on rather strong to Timmy. She went overboard at times, admittedly, but she was just too scared of someone so wonderful slipping away from her. But if her extreme efforts to win him over were actually pushing him away, then trying to be more subdued and merely friendly might be less overwhelming to him. She recalled her mother commenting once that girls tended to mature faster than boys. That would mean that she might be ready for a serious relationship, but he wasn't quite there yet. Friendship could be the key to being prepared for him once he was older. And once she managed to make that small step in progress, it might lead to later victories that would eventually result in her desired goal of dating and marrying Timmy. Still, she was hesitant.

"But he's got a crush of Trixie," she pointed out. "What if they end up together and I never get to be with him?"

"I thought she was with Sanjay," Amanda remarked, pointed at the pair. "And they look really happy together." She paused, "Who did you come with?"

"My friend, Travis," Tootie answered. "He volunteered so I wouldn't be alone. He's a rather sweet boy. He's always ready to help me out. As long as Vicky isn't around."

The younger girl smiled shyly, "That sounded really nice of him. I hope you have fun with him."

Realizing it was probably rude to leave him abandoned the whole night, she nodded, "Thanks. I'll think about what you said." She paused a moment before adding, "I think I'd like to talk you again sometime, Amanda. You're not the Timmy-stealing person I thought you were. You're kind of nice."

Watching her expression shift to one of surprise and mildly hopeful, the older girl gave her not-rival a quick smile before crossing the dance floor once more to join the brown-haired boy who'd been waiting patiently for her return.

"Come on, Travis," she smiled. "After agreeing to come with me, I think I owe you a dance."

The boy's expression at the suggestion was rather familiar. It almost reminded her of her own face when Timmy once agreed to be her valentine.

* * *

It was one thing to go to the Snow Ball, knowing that Trixie was attending with Sanjay. It was quite another to see her so happy, moving gracefully as she dance to the music with the bespectacled boy. Watching the girl of your dreams with someone else is never going to be easy.

Grabbing a couple of drinks from the punch bowl gave Timmy the chance to sulk a little about the entire mess without making Amanda feel like an inferior replacement. It wasn't her fault that he couldn't go with the one he wanted. He would feel sorry for himself away from the younger child, staring longingly at the dark-haired beauty that he dreamed of having as a girlfriend, before returning and spending the rest of the evening having fun with a friend. As long as he got this melancholy dealt with now, he should be fine for the rest of the night.

"Still upset about Trixie?" asked Wanda from her disguised position as a pink bowtie.

"A little," he admitted, his eyes locked on the tall girl as he poured a plastic cup with the punch. "I still don't understand why she would pick Sanjay and not me. After everything I've done to try and win her over, she ends up with _him_. And she looks so happy with him. She's not even paying attention to the weird looks from everyone."

"You can't predict or explain why someone feels the way they do about someone," his godmother reminded.

"Look at me and Wanda," pointed out Cosmo, disguised as the watch on the boy's wrist.

"Yeah, I know," the boy sighed. "But maybe there's still hope for the future. After all, if she's willing to risk popularity for _Sanjay_ , she might be willing to risk it for me someday too."

"That the spirit," Wanda responded. "So stop moping about Trixie and just enjoy the evening. Amanda ended up looking rather nice."

He frowned, "Yeah, how did that happen?"

"Poof poof poof?" suggested the purple flower on his suit.

"I doubt that seamstress mice were involved," he chuckled at his god-sibling's suggestion. "But I'll keep that mind anyway."

"You might want to also notice that she's currently in a conversation with Tootie," Cosmo remarked abruptly.

"What?" he gasped, turning to view the possibly-impending disaster.

Sure enough, the bespectacled girl was talking to Amanda. The younger child seemed rather uncertain and nervous, but that was practically a normal reaction for her. The older girl, wearing a poofy pink dress, looked rather thoughtful and didn't seem to be proclaiming her love for him at the top of her voice. That was a good sign.

Timmy stayed in place, preparing to run for cover if Tootie tried to turn in his direction. Eventually, she gave the younger girl a smile and walked back to a brown-haired boy who looked particularly eager for her return. Once it was obvious that the coast was clear, he headed back to Amanda.

"So, you've met Tootie now," he remarked casually.

She nodded, "She seemed nice. She thought I was your girlfriend at first."

"Let me guess. She got jealous?" When the younger child nodded again, the boy handed her the drink and continued, "Yeah, she's been obsessed with me for quite a while. She never gives up. It's kind of scary."

"I suggested she try not being so…"

"Forceful?"

"Yes."

He smiled, "If you can manage that, it'll be a miracle. But it would be nice."

Another song started to play over the speakers. Chip Skylark's "Shiny Teeth," a fast-paced number, immediately switched the dancing style of the entire gymnasium of students. Timmy smiled at the familiar tune.

"Want to dance?" he suggested.

Her eyes dropping briefly, she mumbled, "I don't know how."

The brown-haired boy gave her a reassuring grin, "It isn't that hard. You'll pick it up in no time. Just have fun with it."

* * *

She'd supervised a number of dances and other functions over the years. It was all part of being a principal, after all. She still never grew tired of watching the students interact at these events. They were at such a mixture of maturity. Some were still at the "boys/girls are icky" while others were trying to plan their future weddings. Regardless of where they might be developmentally, everyone seemed to be having fun while teachers and a few parental volunteers chaperoned. Of course, Crocker had been helping with that job, but he'd disappeared somewhere already. That man's sanity was a rather fleeting thing.

As Principal Waxelplax scanned the area casually, taking note of the wide range in dancing skills, something caught her eye. Half-hidden in the corner of the gym was a figure, one that was both suspicious and vaguely familiar. After all, how often did she see someone wearing a fedora and a dark trench coat who wasn't Crocker?

Walking over towards his casually, the red-haired woman observed the stranger carefully. He was rather distracted, watching the dance floor intently with the same intensity that she'd seen before. It was an expression that could only be caused by one thing.

His immersion in watching events meant he didn't even notice the principal until she was practically on top of him. When he did, he practically jumped out of his trench coat.

"Yah! Don't do that, Beehive," he snapped, flinching away from her. "Sneaking up on a guy isn't the best way to avoid being turned into something unpleasant. Something slimy and without any easy methods of locomotion. Like a slug."

Chuckling slightly at his reaction, she remarked, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you. I just saw you over here and thought I would say 'hello.' So, who did you talk to about chaperoning?"

"Uh… The crazy guy with the hunch. Crockpot."

"Mr. Crocker? He invited you. That was nice of him. We appreciate your help at keeping an eye on everyone. Dances like this are a lot of work."

"Sure, no problem," he answered in a distracted tone.

She paused a moment before asking, "So which one's yours?"

"What?" he asked, looking at her.

Taking note of the sunglasses he wore even inside at night and the goatee the ended in a slight curl, the principal clarified, "Which child is yours? I saw the way you were watching them. I've seen that look before with the chaperones. They get it when they see their kids in a situation that makes them nervous, because they could be hurt physically or emotionally. That's the look of an overprotective parent."

"I'm not…," he began quickly before trailing off. Glancing back across the gymnasium, he mumbled, "The one in the teal dress with Turner."

Principal Waxelplax turned back and spotted the girl he meant. She remembered the new student, a shy one who barely met her eyes when Amanda Adams was introduced to her new class. She was currently chuckling while Timmy showed off a few new dance moves while a rather fast-paced song played. Encouraged by the small laugh, the boy tried to prompt her into trying her own dancing. She pulled back briefly uncertainly, but he kept a smile on his face until she started a few hesitant movements. Chester, AJ, and their metallic-looking dates rejoined the pair and cheered encouragement to her.

She remembered meeting her parents, who completed the paperwork as quickly as possible and seemed vaguely annoyed by the entire process. Neither one were this person in the trench coat. Perhaps he was an uncle or an older sibling. He might even be some type of distant cousin or just a friend of the family. Either way, there was something about how he watched the timid girl as she started to smile that even a blind person could tell was both protective and proud of her. The Classic Parental Look, one that even non-parents can employ. He was proud of the girl, but wanted to protect her from the world.

"Turner's a good kid. He won't do anything to hurt her," she assured.

"He better not," he muttered darkly. "Or else he'll find himself on a one-way trip to Mars."

"Oh, are you an astronaut?" asked the woman curiously.

"Not exactly."

Knowing she wasn't going to get much more from this particular chaperone, she walked away and left him to watch the girl. Whoever he was to the child, it was clear that he cared about Amanda Adams. That was good enough for her. Besides, there was a few treats at the snack table with her name on it.


	16. Queen of the Dance

Dancing with Tootie. He was dancing with Tootie. He couldn't believe his amazing luck. Granted, he did invite her to go with him as a date, but Travis never dreamed she would actually dance with him for more than a few seconds. The most he pictured was her standing next to him while she sought out ways to be near Timmy. But whatever the conversation with the younger girl earlier might have been about, the result was a rather thoughtful Tootie who was letting him dance with her. She might still be glancing over at the brown-haired boy intently every once in a while, but she was also giving him an occasional smile as they danced to the music.

Travis couldn't be happier. He was spending time with his dear friend and she didn't even seem to be that worked up over Timmy dancing with another girl now. And if she was happy, he definitely was happy.

"Students, I have an announcement to make," Principal Waxelplax interrupted, stepping into the middle of the dance floor. The music dropped in volume until it was little more than a pleasant hum. Continuing, she explained, "I've taken a vote from randomly selected students in the room and I'm ready to name the Snow Ball King and Queen. And, amazingly, there's a tie." Pausing briefly to study the piece of paper in her hand while Travis and every other student in the room waited, she announced, "The first couple is Veronica and Chad."

The woman stopped speaking as clapping and a slight cheer broke out at the news. The young man in a suit led his date, the popular girl who was wearing a pink dress. Veronica looked insanely happy and excited at the news, her expression eerily similar to the one Tootie wore when she was extremely focused on Timmy. Travis was very familiar with that look and probably knew it better than most people due to his friendship with Tootie. If he were to inform someone that the blond girl looked a little obsessed and overly zealous as the small tiara was placed on her head, it would probably be best to believe him.

"The second couple," continued Principal Waxelplax, "is Trixie and Sanjay."

The reaction to this announcement was even louder. Stunned cheers and whistles erupted from the less popular students who made up the largest percentage of those present, at the amazing news that someone at the bottom of the social hierarchy could win something like this. Those who apparently actually knew Sanjay, such as Tootie's precious Timmy and his friends, yelled loudly in encouragement at his success. It would seem that even his very public crush on the popular girl wasn't enough to keep the pink-hatted boy from offering his support for the couple's amazing honor. Others apparently didn't know whether or not to vote for the black-haired girl now that she was dating someone completely below her standards, but decided to support her regardless due to habit. It didn't matter if their vote was due to wanting to help out the most popular girl in the school or one of the least popular boys; somehow they ended up with enough to win. Veronica gave a rather shrill shriek that momentarily sounded like she was claiming to be Trixie, but she adopted a rather tense smile as a tiara was placed on the black-haired girl's head and Travis decided he must have heard wrong.

"Our Snow Ball Kings and Queens," the adult grinned, indicating the four students again. "Let's give them a final round of applause."

As the well-dressed children clapped again, Travis couldn't help noticing a rather distinct difference between their dance royalties. While Trixie looked unbelievably happy and Sanjay looked stunned, as in "a deer in headlights" stunned, the other two glared at their co-winners with enough ferocity to make Vicky flinch. Well, maybe not _Vicky_. That teenager was too scary for that. But Veronica and Chad certainly didn't look happy with sharing their title.

"Well, that's over," Tootie remarked as the music returned to its former volume. "Now, I think we were supposed to be having fun. Right, Travis?"

Smiling as she took his hand for the starting slow song, he replied, "Right."

* * *

Failure. An unfortunately familiar experience for him. But he never let it stop him before and he certainly wouldn't let it stop him now. Denzyl Crocker would never give up. He would find a way to prove the existence of _**Fairy Godparents**_. Nothing could stop him.

The Crocker Cave was currently covered in blueprints and various plans that he'd devised over time. His latest attempt failed because it depended on manipulating people to fulfill his will. Perhaps he should study the mind and how it works more. If he understood more about how people make their choices and what to expect in regards to their behavior, perhaps he could have made this plan more effective.

Or he could toss out the human factor and rely on his creations. Who needed people anyway? They tended to get in the way, complain about his efforts to prove the truth, and tried to stick him in a strait jacket.

Inspired, the hunchbacked man dove for a blueprint that caught his eye. The device was rather complicated, hence his delay in trying it earlier. But it could be just what he needed _**Fairy Godparents**_.

Cackling loudly, Crocker started digging out the necessary components for the machine. Grabbing the small rockets and the really long titanium screws, the teacher focus solely on the construction and ignored the fact he was supposed to be chaperoning the dance he helped arrange in the first place.

* * *

As they headed for the gymnasium exit, Trixie couldn't be happier. She was crowned as one of the Snow Ball Queens and she had a wonderful time with Sanjay. And she loved him. She loved him, loved him, lov-

The second she stepped across the threshold, officially leaving the dance, it felt like a thick fog vanished from her mind and she could finally think clearly. And her recent behavior left the black-haired girl completely stunned and horrified, stopping abruptly and causing the unpopular boy beside her to give her a concerned look.

"Trixie, are you all right?" Sanjay asked.

Struggling to find her voice, she whispered, "I'm fine. Just give me a second."

What was wrong with her? After all her efforts to achieve perfection, to be everything a popular student should be and to remain important, it was now completely destroyed. What would possess her to make such a dramatic and obvious action in regards to an unpopular student without even the smallest quality she could use as evidence for _potential_ popularity? This couldn't be happening. She couldn't have sacrificed so much in order to remain important and noticed only to toss it away for the first social loser she pulled out of a locker.

And why would she think she loved him? Why would she think she loved him and they should go to the dance together? It was insane. She barely knew him. He was at the bottom of the social ladder. At least Timmy had the occasion flash of popularity and coolness, not to mention his rather sweet attempts to gain her affection made him at least somewhat logical. This boy didn't even have that. Give her a single reason why in the world she shouldn't summon a bouncer right now and have him tossed into the nearest dumpster.

…Because he learned the truth about who she was, who she _really_ was, and not only didn't mind her less than perfect hobbies, but he also promised to help keep her secret.

Closing her eyes, Trixie took a calming breath. He might be a social loser, but she felt more confident with Sanjay knowing her interest in comics than she would if almost anyone else learned it. She would be destroyed if her best friend, Veronica, discovered the truth, but she was safe with him holding that knowledge. That was why she couldn't try salvaging her social status by just humiliating him. He deserved better.

"Are you certain you are well, Trixie?" Sanjay asked again.

"Yes," she nodded. "Listen, tell the limo driver to take you home. I'll walk. I need to clear my head."

He didn't immediately respond to her instructions. Instead, he seemed to study her face carefully as if trying to ensure that she was truly all right. It was certainly rather sweet of him. Sort of how Timmy could make her smile unexpectantly, but without the pink-hatted boy's habit of toying with her feelings with a sudden change in behavior.

Finally, the bespectacled boy responded carefully, "Okay, if you say so. Thank you for this joyous evening. It was a real pleasure to accompany you."

"Thank you and… I had a nice time too," she smiled, surprising herself with how much she honestly meant the words.

Giving her a final wave, Sanjay headed towards the building's exit. Trixie remained in the hallway, trying to organize her mixed thoughts and feelings. She needed to determine what to do now.

She couldn't just humiliate and forget about Sanjay. On the other hand, she couldn't let things continue the way they were either. Regardless of the confused week where she insanely thought she loved the boy, she didn't feel like dating him anymore. The black-haired girl enjoyed discussing Skull Squisher comics with him and he certainly was easy to get along with, but she didn't think they would make the best couple. Not to mention saving her former popularity would be hard enough without continuing to date the unpopular boy. There had to be a trick or a loophole that would let her continue to spend time with Sanjay without surrendering her title as a popular student.

Abruptly, her quiet musings was interrupted as a bag was thrown over her head and her arms were grabbed by someone. Startled, Trixie struggled against the firm grip as the unknown captors dragged her somewhere. She could hear low voices muttering on either side of her, but she couldn't make out any specific words.

Finally, the hands dragged him to their destination and shoved the girl into a chair. Before she could react, the bag was snatched off her head and a bright light was shown her eyes.

One of Trixie's hands flew up to block the intense glare from her eyes and her other hand started touching her hair in order to determine how badly the bag might have affected it. Regardless of who captured her, there were certain expectations for a popular girl to maintain and always having a flawless appearance was one of them. Even kidnapping wasn't enough of an excuse to let her perfect image be marred. It could be the end of the world and she would still try to be the ideal popular kid. Besides, she worked hard to look nice for the dance.

"Watch the hair," she warned, trying to spot her audience past the bright light. "You almost knocked off the Queen's tiara. Now, turn off the lamp and tell me what's going on. No need for all the dramatics."

"Fine, we'll do it the easy way," a rather stern voice announced as the light died away.

Blinking to clear her vision, the black-haired girl managed to make out three figures in the empty classroom they dragged her to. Since she recognized the voice quite easily, it was impossibly simple to determine the identity of the other two.

Scowling at the center shape, she asked, "What do you want, Veronica?"

"Trixie Tang, we find you to be in violation of the Unwritten Laws of Popularity," the blond girl stated, stepping into view wearing her pink dress and tiara as she addressed her friend. Tad and Chad stood on either side of Veronica, both with a look of contempt on their faces. Her best friend continued, "We, the remaining members of the popular table, declare that your guilt of this crime makes you unfit for your title as the most popular girl in school and that you shall be stripped of all your rights and privilidges that come with it."

"You are allowed to make a short statement or explanation for your actions," Chad informed her as he straightened his suit. "You can even try and defend your actions if you like."

"Not that it will help," muttered Tad.

Her thoughts raced through all the possible options. Trixie couldn't let them do this to her. Without her popularity, what did she have? She wouldn't matter anymore. She wouldn't have any importance and she would be nothing. There had to be a way to stop it.

"Which law specifically did I break?" she asked in a calm and collected manner, trying to appear in control even as she stalled.

"We'll show you," Tad stated, rolling a television cart into view.

Trixie knew what was about to happen. The Unwritten Laws of Popularity were, by definition, not recorded in the form of written words on a page. But there were other methods of keeping track of such rules. After all, they were children of the modern era. Technology was their best tool and it was one they could use well. Especially the more expensive pieces.

The well-dressed boy popped in the DVD and Trixie's own image appeared on screen. She remembered making the video. She could recall reciting the series of complicated laws that kept the majority of the students away from the popular table and helped ensure that the most popular ones were perfect in every way. These rules were the basis for the chart of popularity. Once these were passed on by word of mouth, but turning it into a video starring her was so much more practical. And it would ensure that every popular kid in the future would know her.

"Hello," greeted the television image of the black-haired girl. "This video will list all the laws for popularity and how to determine where you fall within the chart. So pay attention popular kids, unpopular kids, and Empty Bus Seats. We'll start with the basics: fashion necessities."

Chad leaned over and hit the fast-forward button. After several moment of watching her images move at hyper speed, Trixie began to have a tiny spark of inspiration beginning to burn at the back of her mind. The advantage of making the video was that it gave her a fairly reasonable memory of the less used rules and the exceptions. Besides, knowledge of these laws was the responsibility of the most popular student in the school.

When the boy returned the DVD to the usual speed, the television version of Trixie stated, "In the _highly_ unlikely event that a popular student should seriously interact with a student of extreme unpopularity, with the exception of situations caused by academic or family reasons, for more than two weeks or for one major social event and there is no sign of the popular student coming to their senses in the near future, then it falls to the remaining members of the popular table to take what action they deem necessary to keep things from getting worse. And by that I mean kick them out of the group."

Hitting the pause button, Tad shrugged, "It took a while to find it, but there's the law. And you broke it."

"Did I?" asked Trixie, grinning at her developing plan. Hopefully Sanjay would agree to it later, but it was the only thing she could think of. Continuing with the confidence that the most popular girl should always demonstrate, she remarked, "In fact, this seems like a giant waste of my time."

"What? Weren't you listening?" Veronica stammered.

"Yes, I was. Were you? If you can't pay attention, perhaps you shouldn't be my co-Queen," she smiled sweetly, watching her best friend gape in shock. "Did it not say that academic and family reasons don't count?"

"Wait, what are you saying?" Chad asked.

The black-haired girl lied casually, "My dad was concerned with some of my grades lately, mostly in math. The boy is smart and volunteered to serve as a tutor if I served as a girlfriend until the dance in exchange. I accepted the offer, obviously."

"You… went out with him so he'd help with your homework?" repeated Veronica.

"My dad threatened to cut back on my allowance and reduce my time at the mall if I don't raise my grades," she lied, producing gasps of horror and sympathy from her audience. "And that falls under the guidelines for using 'false dating' as a reward or as a set-up for humiliation, correct? I am also enacting the unpopular protection for him for the foreseeable future. I need to raise my grades and having my tutor hindered will not be tolerated."

Trixie watched as the other popular students slowly accepted her story. It certainly sounded more plausible than the truth. Why would a popular girl risk her status by spending time with a social loser? Only protecting her mall privileges made sense. Of course they would expect her to make that decision.

Unpopular protection was a rare law they could put into effect for a student further down the social ladder that they might take an interest in. They would still be unpopular and would not receive the same benefits of those who sat at the popular table. But bullies were forbidden to touch anyone under that protection and the other popular students could not do more than the mildest humiliations. In addition, it allowed the unpopular kid to interact with the one specifically offering the protection, Trixie in this case, without affecting either one's popularity. And a tutor was the ideal person for such protection.

"I… Well, this certainly clears up a few things," the blond girl mumbled.

"Good. We'll discuss this further on Monday," she stated icily. Now that the three were handed a reasonable excuse for her previous behavior, they seemed to have changed their tune and were willing to accept her back into her previous role without a hint that they nearly kicked her out. How quickly they switched their views. "And you will not interfere with my mall time by bothering the boy. Understand?"

"Of course," nodded Tad. "We should have known you weren't crazy."

As soon as the three popular kids left the room, Trixie felt herself relax. Her quick thinking and bluffing worked. Sanjay might not like the lie about being a tutor and bribing her for a date, but it would make it easier to have the social hierarchy stabilize again. It would also give them a reasonable excuse to spend time together in the future, meaning that his offer regarding picking up comics for her and maybe trying to play a few video games might still be possible. She could have her popularity and have someone to be her true self with. She couldn't believe her luck.

So why did she still feel like so confused, like her life recently was outside of her control and she just now barely regained even a hint of power in her life? Why did she end up giving Sanjay a chance when she let him out of the locker? What made her think she loved him so abruptly and why did it end as soon as she left the dance?

* * *

As soon as she got home, Amanda took off her unbelievable beautiful dress and hung it up in the back of her closet. She halfway expected it to dissolve away in a puff of smoke, but it remained completely solid as she changed into her nightgown. She couldn't stop smiling. The place might have been overwhelming at times and Tootie might have been mad at one point because she liked Timmy, but the music was fun and it was nice to spend time with the older boys. And, even if she was nervous, dancing wasn't nearly as intimidating with Timmy and his friends encouraging her. Best of all, her parents weren't home yet and that meant there was no possible way she could bother them.

As she climbed into bed and pulled Teddy close, there was a soft _gong_ and Norm appeared in the room with a smile. The genie leaned casually against her bedroom wall and peered at her over his shades.

"Have a good time, kid?" he asked.

She nodded quickly, unable to find the right words to describe the evening. It was probably one of the best days of her life. If Grandma was still alive, she would have been talking about how proud she was about her granddaughter going to her first dance and taking pictures. Her grandmother always made a big deal about important events in Amanda's life. And surely such a day would qualify as important. She wore an amazing outfit, she had a lot of fun, and Mom and Dad weren't mad about wasting their time. It was perfect.

"Saw you dancing," he remarked casually. "You had about as much grace as a two-legged cat, but it wasn't bad for a beginner." He laughed slightly, making her smile a little in return. "Your chess skills are far more impressive, but you've also had more practice at that. Turner was closer to a _one_ -legged cat and I would think he's got more experience at it. And most of the kids there were rather pathetic compared to my dance moves, even if I don't have to worry about stepping on anyone's feet," he joked, indicating his lower half that faded into a smoky tail.

"You were there?"

"I was curious," the genie shrugged. "I figured I might as well take quick peek." Pulling his sunglasses off, he added quietly, "I'm glad you had fun."

"Thank you again for the dress," answered the sleepy girl, starting to yawn. "It looked so pretty and made me look like I belonged there."

"You did belong here, kid," he smiled. As she yawned again, he added, "Now get some sleep. I believe tomorrow's the day you usually clean and I plan on beating you at chess later. I don't want a tired opponent."

"Okay, Norm," she mumbled, her eyes already shutting.

* * *

"It wasn't a complete disaster and I actually had fun," stated Timmy as he climbed into bed. "That's always a pleasant surprise."

"No destruction caused by wishing. It _is_ a surprise," Cosmo remarked, floating above the fishbowl with a tired fairy baby. "I didn't mess things up."

Wanda continued, "It was a nice evening. Your friend, Amanda, certainly seemed to have a good time. It was nice of you to invite her to the dance."

"Even if you only took her because you were out of options," stated the green-haired fairy helpfully. When his wife glared at him, he asked, "What? It's true. Isn't it? I'm not sure. I wasn't paying attention."

"Anyway," muttered Wanda as she tried to steer the conversation back on course, "I wonder where she got that dress. She certainly didn't seem to have it when I checked on the girl earlier."

"I was wondering the same thing," Timmy commented. "I bet even Trixie would have liked it, though she seemed to win easily enough with the one she had. So where did Amanda get it? We didn't do it and I don't think her parents bought it for her."

"Poof poof," mumbled the yawning fairy infant.

The boy smiled at his god-brother as Wanda scooped up the baby. It was definitely past Poof's bedtime. It was getting late for the eleven year old as well and he highly doubted they would solve the mystery tonight.

"We'll figure it out later," the brown-haired child remarked. "All that matters is that nothing went wrong tonight. So, good night everyone. See you in the morning. Cosmo, try not to do anything stupid until at least seven a.m."

"Night, Timmy," responded his godparents in unison before changing into goldfish with a _poof_.

* * *

She didn't say anything to Timmy or Cosmo. Technically, there was nothing to tell them yet. All she had was her maternal instincts, a vague sensation that she _might_ recognize, and a suspicion. None of them were enough to equal anything substantial and yet were enough to make Wanda wonder as she floated in their fishbowl.

Her previous feeling about Amanda having a secret surrounding her still remained. The fairy originally thought it might be connected to her ignoring parents, but tonight proved that there was more. That dress was beautiful and something about it felt familiar. It had that possibly magic, but definitely not fairy magic, sensation to it that seemed to cling to the child and left Wanda struggling to determine for certain if it was actual magic. Whatever that vaguely familiar and unidentifiable sensation she was noticing might be, the dress was saturated with it as opposed to the light dusting on the child herself.

If Amanda had access to magic, it would explain the fact that she gained a dress so abruptly. If it was magic, and Wanda couldn't be certain it was, it came from a different source than Timmy's wishes. It wasn't fairy-related. And that could be dangerous. There were plenty of magic out there from less friendly sources that she might have encountered. Anti-fairies, pixies, genies, and even human witches and warlocks could be dealing with her directly or indirectly. They weren't known for their benevolence and might toy with an innocent child for their own purposes. Or she could have found an object with magic, like the Fairy-versary Muffin or Cupid's arrows, that could be used by anyone who found it. Not all of those artifacts she might have stumbled upon could be considered safe for casual use. For all she knew, Amanda could have found a dress-producing object that might be the equivalent of Pandora's Box with a fashion sense. Magic could be dangerous even in well-meaning hands. Cosmo proved that every day. There could be a danger to Amanda, Timmy, or any member of Wanda's family. She couldn't predict what the girl might have encountered to leave that trace of strange magic on her.

But even with her suspicions of possible magic being involved, her maternal instincts were also assuring her that it wasn't as grave a circumstance as it might seem. Something about the beautiful dress that the eight year old wore to the dance, in addition to being saturated with something that might be magic of some kind, also felt oddly protective and benevolent in regards to the girl. It felt like whatever gave Amanda the dress intended no harm from the gift. This sensation had even less basis on solid facts than the rest of her suspicions, but Wanda wanted to trust her instincts on this. She wanted to believe that, if the child was tangled with non-fairy magic, it would be best that she stumble onto something that didn't want to hurt her.

Perhaps it was truly harmless and all of Wanda's concerns were wasted. Perhaps she didn't have to worry about Amanda or her family's well-being, but the godmother wished she could know for certain. There was no way for her to currently prove or disprove her concerns of the moment. All she could do was keep alert and pay attention to anything odd around the child. She would watch to make sure that Timmy, Poof, Cosmo, and Amanda were safe from whatever was going on.

Wanda closed her eyes and tiredly leaned closer to her sleeping husband. She hoped she was going the right thing by keeping quiet. They already considered her a nag when she warned about obvious danger. If she brought up something she couldn't even be remotely certain of and could easily be wrong about, there was no way they wouldn't laugh it off. She would bide her time and wait. Something would come up eventually and she would know how it would affect her family then.


	17. Rocket Powered

"And just because Christmas is around the corner doesn't mean that you shouldn't still try your hardest on the assignments," Ms. Keys stated to her class, the brunette and bespectacled teacher pacing slightly behind her desk. "We've been working on the Civil War in history and half of you seem to be under the impression that you don't need to do the reading I assigned. That last test was not what I was expecting from you. I know all of you are capable of better and I want to see some real effort."

She paused a moment to stare at the third graders. Not a single one of them looked particularly interested in what she was saying. Even the couple of students who cared deeply about their grades were too eager for the coming holiday. A few kids stared out the window or at the clock, but very few of them would look at the teacher without having a glazed over expression on their faces.

The woman sat down behind her desk, trying to resist the urge to grab an air horn or something to capture their attention with. This time of year was trying for everyone. Teaching anything near the holiday was practically a miracle. Still, she had to try and make something stick to their brains.

"Just so you know, there will be a test before we get out for Christmas over chapter nine," she informed them, earning some frustrated groans. "I suggest you study your history books."

With that final warning, the bell rang and the students began heading towards the door. As she caught sight of a particular child, one that had a habit of fading into the background and escaping the instructor's notice, Ms. Keys remembered that she should probably check on the quiet girl more often. She was a new student and it was important to make sure she was adapting to her new environment.

"Amanda, could I talk to you a second?" she asked.

The brunette child stopped and waited directly in front of the teacher's desk. The girl remained still as her classmates filed out of the room. Amanda held on tightly to the strap of her backpack and stared at the floor, giving every impression with her body language that she was waiting for something horrible to befall her.

"I just wanted to ask how you like your new school," she assured. "Is anyone giving you any trouble? Are you making friends? I haven't really seen you spending much time with the other children in the class."

"I'm fine, Ms. Keys," she murmured, her gaze locked on the ground. "You don't have to take the time to check on me."

"It's important to make certain that you're adapting to your new school, to a new town, and all the new classmates you have," the brunette woman stated. "So, how are things going for you? Are you making friends?"

The girl nodded slightly, but kept her eyes down. Conversation with the shy student was proving to be difficult. Luckily, Ms. Keys wasn't one to give up easily.

"What are their names?" she asked.

"They aren't in this class. They're older than me," Amanda explained, glancing up momentarily before looking back down to the floor again. "Mostly, it's Timmy Turner. But I spend time with Chester and AJ too. They're in Mr. Crocker's class."

At the mention of the most insane member of the faculty, Ms. Keys shook her head. That man was an insult to the teaching profession. She greatly pitied the students he taught. What adult went around believing in something as crazy as fairies?

Continuing quietly, the girl remarked, "I even went to the Snow Ball with Timmy. It was fun."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're making friends," she smiled. "So, no real problems?"

"No, I'm fine."

Ms. Keys debated for a moment about asking further questions, but it was clear that the shy student wanted nothing more than to escape the attention. Besides, it was the end of the day and she probably wanted to go home.

"Thank you for your time, Amanda. And your test wasn't as bad as your classmates, so good work at studying properly. I'll see you tomorrow."

As soon as the teacher gave her permission to leave, the girl scurried out of the empty room in a hurry. While she might not have learned as much as she'd hoped, at least she established that the child was socializing with some friends. That suggested she was at least becoming acclimated to her new school and that was what Ms. Keys wanted to hear.

* * *

Disguised as a green pencil, Cosmo rested comfortably on the desk as Timmy stared at the clock boredly. The boy wasn't happy about having to stay after school in detention, but that's what happens when you're late to class. Granted, he was late because Francis decided to test the school's plumbing by using Timmy's head. But Mr. Crocker was not generally the understanding sort to the students in general and the pink-hatted boy specifically.

At least the hunchbacked teacher was out of the room for the moment. The place was completely deserted. After Timmy was certain that Crocker was truly gone, the man leaving with a quick remark about devising a new F catapult, the boy started asking whether or not it would be worth it to make a break for it. Wanda pointed out that it would only make things worse and that he would survive being bored for a little while.

Cosmo frowned. Was his wife right about that? She was smart, but that didn't make her a doctor. Could you die from boredom? That would be a horrible way to go. After all, people claim to suffer from boredom. Perhaps if they suffer long enough it would end up being lethal. He couldn't let something like that happen to his godchild. That would…

He blinked, his attention drifting easily to a new focus as movement near the door drew his gaze. Peering into the room carefully was Amanda, her eyes as wide as saucers. What kind of saucers would be the same size as someone's eyes? And what would you serve on those saucers? Maybe cupcakes or cookies. And if the cookies were chocolate chips, it would be even better. If Timmy was hungry after detention, perhaps the fairy could convince him to wish up some cookies later. That would be a delicious idea.

"Amanda, what are you doing here?" the brown-haired boy asked, spotting the girl and distracting Cosmo from his wandering thoughts.

"Looking for you," answered the girl quietly.

Timmy smiled, "I have to stay for detention with Mr. Crocker for a little while. If you want to walk over to my house afterwards and play videogames, you can hang around the school until I can leave. What do you think?"

She nodded quickly in agreement, looking rather eager about the idea. Cosmo wondered if she was really that excited about video games. Timmy always beat her and most people don't get that enthusiastic about losing.

Glancing around briefly, she asked, "Where's Mr. Crocker?"

"Who knows," shrugged the boy. "Probably busy with a crazy plan of some kind. I'll meet you at the front of the school whenever detention's over."

"We better get cookies out of this," Cosmo remarked quietly. "I'm getting hungry."

Wanda quickly shushed him while Poof giggled in agreement. Amanda gave no indication that she heard the fairy's words and turned to leave. A few seconds later, she reappeared at the doorway with a confused and concerned expression on her face.

"Timmy, what's he doing?" she asked, pointing at something down the hall.

Picking up the school supplies-disguised fairies, the pink-hatted boy walked over to join her. He leaned out and looked towards whatever was confusing the girl. Not that Cosmo saw anything wrong with being confused since he spent most of his time in that state. Besides, it was easy to see why she was confused when he saw what she was looking at.

Wearing a helmet with a visor, Crocker stood at the other end of the hall with a weird device in his hands and a crazed grin on his face. It looked like it might be related to a bazooka, but it probably also had a few firecracker cousins since it had four small rocket-launchers around the larger opening. Not to mention it probably had an Uncle GPS since the fairy tracker seemed to be wired into the thing too. Whatever the device Crocker built might be, the family reunion must be crazy.

"Hello, Turner. Do you like it? You and your _**Fairy Godparents**_ ," he shouted, flailing wildly at the words, "can try and run, but you can't escape. The Rocket-powered Fairy Trapper, patent pending, already has a lock on their magic and no target can get away." Laughing crazily, he shifted the object to his shoulder and aimed towards the children and disguised fairies. "Go ahead. Make my day."

Timmy, paling slightly at the formidable-looking weapon pointed in their direction, whispered, "Amanda, get ready to run. He's after me, not you."

The hunchbacked teacher pressed a button on his bazooka-like device, causing it to hum menacingly and sending the kids into a sprint in the opposite direction. Cosmo thought it sounded nice. He tended to hum a lot, just like the weird object was. It probably just forgot the words to the song too.

"I love it when they try to run,' Crocker stated as he fired.

Because he was currently a pencil and didn't have to focus on fleeing, the fairy godfather was able to easily watch the teacher's actions. The strange device fired out a large round object that was propelled by the four rockets that blasted after them. Attached to the round structure was a very short handle with the fairy tracker connected. It only took the normally slow-witted individual a moment to realize they were being chased by a rocket-powered butterfly net.

* * *

He was lying on a rather nice beach, watching the hula dancers putting on a show for the tourists, when a familiar face came up beside him. Norm almost did a double take when Tanda abruptly interrupted his Hawaiian retreat. The dark green-haired genie must be on a similar vacation, though his recollection suggested she was more likely to choose a location with fewer girls in grass skirts and more guys in tight pants.

"Hey there, Casanova," she greeted. "Enjoying the view?"

"Definitely," he smirked. "Especially with someone like you here to improve it. I thought you preferred watching the morons running away from bulls or the back-up dancers for Brittany Brittany."

"A couple of the fire-twirlers are on the cute and clumsy side," she gestured at the changing act on the luau stage. "I figure that, regardless of whether or not they completely the routine or set their hair on fire, I'll get to see something hot," she remarked, smiling at her pun. Continuing, Tanda asked, "So, I hear you've been running around for the last few months with every girl who'd give you the time of day. A few genies are starting to speculate some idiot freed you. You've been a busy bee."

"Word spread quickly when a face as good-looking as mine is on the market," Norm smirked.

She shrugged, "There's not a lot of genies and even fewer who are free enough to exchange gossip easily. Those that are capable of such activities are desperate for interesting things to talk about. Anything different among the genies, even if it isn't much, is immediately grabbed on by those who are bored and those who are merely curious. The last piece of news we had of any importance was when the lamp for Flynn was tossed in that volcano by that particularly ticked-off master, about two hundred forty years ago. Or was it three hundred forty? Regardless, he should have known better than to antagonize a girl after getting rid of her husband when she lived in a village with a tradition of tossing people in the volcano."

While he'd not known that particular genie, Norm couldn't resist a small shudder at the thought of what would have happened to the guy. Not much could damage a genie's lamp or bottle, but dumping it in a volcano would do it every time. Those tended to be fairly effective at destroying magical items of all kinds, as did sufficient force to crush thick steel, tossing stuff into the sun, or using enough magic against it. And genies didn't usually last long after something managed to take out the lamp. He might not have known this Flynn person or witnessed his unfortunate demise, but he saw Ginger's around four thousand years ago. She was a rather cheerful person with a talent for rubbing her masters the wrong way and it certainly didn't look like a nice way to go.

"So the news of me being available for any single ladies who might be interested is replacing the news of the last genie to get himself killed? Are you girls that desperate for a date or that desperate for gossip?" he asked. "I don't know whether to be honored or insulted by that."

Tanda gave him a slight pat on the shoulder as they watched the fire-twirling routine, "Everyone's just trying to figure out how you ended up with all this free time. Most guess that you got some dull-witted human to let you loose, but at least a couple suggested you might have brainwashed your master. I know one who thought you put your master in a coma."

"All terrific ideas that they should try on their own human morons, but that's not it," he informed her. "The kid's just an odd one that really doesn't make wishes."

"So you believe me now about the idea of exceptions?" the green-haired genie asked, smirking slightly.

Norm rolled his eyes, "Yes, she's different. You're so smart. Happy now?"

"Finally out of denial? And you're taking advantage of having a pushover for a master? I'm proud of you. Most genies don't have the sense to enjoy having a master they can basically ignore."

He tried to not frown at Tanda calling Amanda a pushover. She might not be the most confident girl on the planet and she could certainly be timid, but she wasn't quite a pushover. But he couldn't react to her words since she would be curious about why it would bother him. And he really didn't feel like trying to make Tanda or anyone understand how different Amanda was from the rest of humanity. He wasn't certain he'd be able to explain it anyway.

"Yeah, I'm just smart enough to recognize a good thing when I see it," he remarked casually.

"Well, while you continue your efforts to charm every available genie currently not between masters, I intend to continue my world tour of insanely-dangerous human hobbies," she smiled. "Since it doesn't look like anyone's going to set themselves on fire today and doing it myself would be cheating, I'm heading for one of those cliffs that teenagers and daredevils like to jump off into the ocean. You're welcome to come with me. Cute girls in swimwear for you, cute guys without shirts for me. Lots of fun. Even if none of them manage to crash on the rocks."

"Pass," Norm yawned. "I'm planning to hang out on the beach for another hour or two before heading somewhere else."

She shrugged, "Your loss."

Tanda vanished as she snapped her fingers, producing a cloud of green smoke and a _gong_. He watched the smoke of her exit dissipate before leaning back and relaxing again.

* * *

As Timmy turned a corner in the empty school, he couldn't help wondering how in the world he managed to be unlucky enough to have a teacher capable of constructing a rocket-powered butterfly net. It wasn't like it was that common of a skill set. How many people in the world could claim they could build something that odd? Yet he somehow ended up with the fairy-hunting teacher who could put that particular ability on his resumé.

The boy glanced back momentarily, noticing that the projectile also made the turn. Correction, his teacher could construct a _fairy-seeking_ rocket-powered butterfly net. A dangerous combination to have after you when three fairies were with you. It figures that Crocker would find a way to take the butterfly net, one of the few things that can capture them and resist their magic, and make it more effective by giving it flight and targeting.

"I think it's still after us," pointed out Cosmo unnecessarily.

"I know," Timmy responded, gasping for breath and silently cursing himself for having that extra slice of pizza at lunch.

He flung himself through a set of doors, a side exit intended for emergencies. Scrambling to increase the distance between him and the pursuing net, the boy began fleeing around the corner of the building. The thing certainly wasn't being slowed down by the doors. Maybe enough turns would cause the rocket-powered nightmare to bump into the walls of the school and get knocked off course. He certainly couldn't slow down enough to catch his breath for a proper wish. He really didn't have that many ideas of how to get rid of the thing. Running was his only reliable option at the moment unless luck suddenly decided to swing in his favor.

Somehow, his frantic fleeing brought him to the back of the school where the dumpsters rested. It was exactly how it was the last time he hid back here, trying to conceal Amanda from Francis on her first day of school. The cardboard boxes still overflowed onto the ground surrounding the dumpster, unfortunately providing further obstacles for him to dodge while running.

Abruptly, something hit his back and knocked Timmy to the ground. The fall resulted in the pink-hatted boy losing his grip on his school supplies-disguised god-family. Whatever hit him shot over his head, causing the boy to flinch in surprise.

"Ahh! A butterfly net!" shouted Cosmo and Wanda in a familiar state of panic.

Timmy yanked his head up, spotting where his fairies had landed after his tumble. Right next to the dumpster, the rocket-powered butterfly net trapped the trio, now in their more usual forms. The boy scrambled quickly to his feet and tried to yank the object off. His efforts quickly proved useless when he noticed that the rockets and a guidance system weren't the only new additions to the butterfly net. The frame had evenly-spaced self-screwing bolts that were now embedded deeply into the pavement underfoot. There was no possible way he was going to be able to pull it free.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," muttered Timmy, trying to figure out some way to get his fairies free.

While he attempted to turn the bolts with his bare hands, the boy could hear Poof starting to whimper slightly. His god-brother didn't have much experience with butterfly nets and clearly didn't like them. Both Cosmo and Wanda held their child close, trying to comfort Poof while the knowledge of the extreme urgency of the situation was all too clear to them. They needed to get free before someone found them back there. Most of the students and faculty might be gone by now, but Crocker was still around and he would be the most likely to find them anyway.

"We could really use a wrench right now," remarked Timmy, his hands hurting with the effort to twist the bolts. "Or a crowbar."

A light and fast set of footsteps approaching their position threw the group into further panic. Timmy slid himself in front of his god-family, trying to block the fairies from sight. They couldn't disguise or poof themselves to safety while under the net, so it fell to him to deal with the danger of them being spotted. He couldn't get them out, but he might be able to keep whoever was coming distracted away from noticing Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof. Unless it was Mr. Crocker. Just standing in front of them wouldn't be enough to keep the man from noticing the fairies. Timmy knew that he could be on the verge of having his fairy godparents exposed and losing them forever. And yet all he could do to protect them was stand between them and the approaching individual. How did he end up reduced to this?

Dashing around the corner was, surprisingly, Amanda. Even as Timmy shifted his position slightly to better block her view, the girl hurried towards him with only the tiniest of pauses. She actually seemed to have a rather determine expression that looked foreign on her face. In her hands was a pair of purple safety scissors that she probably pulled out of her backpack earlier.

"Mr. Crocker's coming," she informed the boy as he desperately tried to keep her from seeing the trapped fairies. "This isn't good. We need to hide all of you fast."

"Amanda, you shouldn't be here," yelped Timmy, the girl handing him the scissors and pulling him closer to the bolted butterfly net. For a rather meek child, she had a rather strong grip. "You don't see anything. Really."

"Don't worry, it'll be all right," she stated. "You stay quiet and cut them out."

Before Timmy or his god-family could react further, Amanda pulled one of the larger cardboard boxes over the boy and the net. The container completely concealed them from sight. And since there were plenty of such discarded boxes around them, it would make the perfect camouflage. The only real problem was how dark the interior was, causing it to be nearly impossible to tell what Cosmo, Wanda, or Poof's expression might be in reaction to what was happening.

Timmy reached out blindly, feeling the strings that formed the main part of the butterfly net. Uncertain what else to do, his heart-pounding in dread of the situation, and completely positive that he would hear Jorgen's explosive arrival at any second, he started cutting a hole through the mesh of the net. He might not be able to pull the thing off the ground, but he could still free his fairies regardless. How long they might remain _his_ fairies, he didn't know.

* * *

This whole afternoon was turning out to be a minor disaster. First, Mr. Crocker showed up with his butterfly net-firing bazooka. Then she was separated from Timmy as he ran away. By the time she found him, pausing only long enough to pull out the closest thing she had to a useful tool, his fairies were trapped and he looked rather upset. Amanda had to help him.

She was mildly surprised by her first sight of Timmy's fairies, floating figures with oddly-colored hair and wings that were certainly smaller than Norm. But she couldn't take the time right now to really look at them. Her friend was in trouble. It was obvious that he was worrying about losing his fairies because someone spotted them. It wouldn't happen because of her, but he didn't know that and Mr. Crocker could still show up at any moment.

She had to help him; she couldn't let him lose his fairies. It was bad enough to imagine when it was just a hypothetical child. Even without a face or a name to attach to such an event, Amanda asked Norm to help her prevent such a thing. But now it was Timmy Turner, her first human friend and one of the few friends in total that she was lucky enough to have. He'd been so good to her. He saw her and noticed her the first day of school, walked her home and spoke to her, and he offered her friendship without caring that she didn't deserve such a precious gift. He taught her to play video games, invited her to his house and to hang out with his other friends, and he even took her to her first dance when he could find no one else. She couldn't let something bad happen to him. She couldn't let him lose his fairies, no matter what.

A box concealed them from sight and the girl placed herself in front of it casually. However long it might take to cut them free from the trap, she would keep them safe. Timmy was a good friend, far better than what she deserved, and she had to make sure nothing bad would happen to him.

"Turner," called Mr. Crocker, wandering into sight around the corner. "You can't hide from me. I'll find you eventually." Then he muttered darkly, "I guess using the fairy tracker as the guidance system wasn't the brightest idea. How am I going to figure out where they are now?"

As the man stepped forward, the bazooka still balanced on his shoulder, he frowned curiously at the girl. Amanda knew he was probably wondering what she might be doing hanging around the dumpsters. She didn't want to lie if he asked, but she couldn't tell him the truth either. The only other option she could devise was to distract him before he could ask.

"Are you here to help with the recycling?" she asked, gesturing towards the various cardboard boxes scattered around while her eyes dropped to her feet. "Ms. Keys was talking about how you can recycle stuff other than soda cans. Like newspaper, plastic bottles, and cardboard. Are you?"

"No, I have more important things on my mind than saving the environment, no matter how worthy a cause," he snapped. "I am on the verge of proving the existence of _**Fairy Godparents**_." He flailed wildly at the words, nearly dropping the bazooka, before continuing, "I just have to figure out where Turner managed to wander off to. Once I find him again, I'll have all the proof I need."

"How do you know?" she inquired quietly. "How do you know he has fairies, Mr. Crocker, and not AJ? Or Chester? Or Sanjay? Or Elmer? Or any other student? And how do you know they're real?"

He cackled madly, "Because it's true. Because all the signs point to that fact. Turner has them. Someday, I'll make all the doubters regret their words. I'll prove it to the world. Then, I'll harness all that power to establish my new world order. You'll see. You'll all see."

The teacher continued to laugh insanely as he left to continue his search. She waited a few moments, letting him both vanish from sight and for his mad cackling to fade away. After the girl was certain he was truly gone, she turned around and pulled the box off.

"It's okay. He's gone," Amanda stated, giving a weak smile. "You and your godparents are safe now."

The boy continued to stand protectively in front of the three floating figures, though the net no longer trapped them. His eyes were staring at her in panic. The fear of losing his fairies still remained and would likely stay in place until she explained things. She needed to tell him why he wouldn't lose them because of her and that was kind of complicated. She told Norm that she wouldn't tell Timmy about the genie, but she didn't know if there was any other choice at this moment.

"This is bad," the pink-hatted boy muttered. "She doesn't have fairies, so Jorgen's going to show up any moment. I'm surprised he isn't here already."

"Maybe he hit traffic," suggested the green-haired fairy.

The pink-haired one gave him a look, "Cosmo, that's not helping." She then turned towards the boy, "Calm down, Sport. We need to figure out things out."

"It'll be all right. Honest. I can explain," Amanda stated.

Timmy continued as if he didn't hear any of them, "What are we going to do? Jorgen can't take you guys away forever. And what about Poof? What'll happen to him? Remember last time that this almost happened?"

"Poof poof," the smallest floating shape, the one wearing a purple outfit, whimpered at the boy's words.

"Please, calm down. Everything's going to be okay. Please, let me explain," Amanda begged, but he was busy glancing around nervously and asking panicked questions of the fairies.

Running out of ideas, the girl decided to simplify things in the only way she could think of. If she couldn't get through his panic with just words, she would have to come up with something he couldn't ignore. She knew that the genie told her that he and Timmy didn't get along the best. Still, maybe he could help her convince the boy he really didn't have to worry about that Jorgen Von Strangle person showing up. Norm could fix everything. She could count on him to help her.

Sliding her backpack off, she stated, "It'll be okay. Trust me. He'll explain."

As Amanda pulled out the lava lamp, Timmy broke out of his worry enough to frown abruptly, "Wait, I've seen that before. That's…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, however, since she was already rubbing the lamp. A familiar and comforting _gong_ quickly followed as teal smoke appeared with the genie in the middle. The girl briefly smiled before she noticed everyone else's expression. At first, everyone merely looked confused. Then, Timmy and the two older-looking fairies seemed to become some combination of angry, fearful, startled, and suspicious that they were directing at the new arrival. The genie looked more troubled, nervous, and frustrated.

Rolling his eyes skywards, Norm muttered, "Aw, _Smoof_."


	18. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We never found out on the show what happened on Mars between Norm and Timmy to leave the boy assuming that the genie wanted revenge at the start of "Fairy Idol." They seemed to be on pretty good terms at that point, sharing a pizza and watching Crocker suffer. I'm developing some ideas, but mostly I decide that both the boy and genie are at fault in their own way. Whether or not I ever decide to go into what I imagine could have occurred… I haven't decided yet. But I might if the matter comes up later.

This wasn't good. Everything he'd dreaded and tried to deny as a possibility had just occurred. He'd hoped to avoid such a complete disaster, one that probably rivaled the extinction of the dinosaurs' level of catastrophe. He wanted to maintain the delicate balance between his desire for revenge and his desire to enjoy his current master. But now everything crumbling apart around him, the balance completely disrupted and both aspects were colliding against each other far too directly for him to mend with a few careful words. Amanda, Turner, the idiot fairies, and himself were all in the same place and in plain view of one another. Something out there in the universe really had it out for him.

Rolling his eyes skywards, Norm muttered, "Aw, _Smoof_."

His words were apparently enough to snap a response out of the angry, suspicious, frightened, and completely stunned state that both fairies and the boy currently occupied. Accuation and dread focused in Turner's gaze as he pointed a finger at the magical creature.

"Norm, the evil genie, is back to destroy us," he shouted.

Both of the adult fairies bought their wands up, ready to react to whatever he might try. The infant, round and dressed in a purple jumper, merely looked confused by his parents and Turner's reaction. The baby probably didn't know anything about genies in general or Norm specifically. Thus, it made sense the little guy didn't understand how to react. That'll change soon enough. The baby would learn to be just as on guard around genies as other fairies were. Still, it was kind of cute to see that utterly clueless expression on the infant's face. It was certainly easier to focus on that than how all his luck had run out and karma finally decided to take a large bite out of him.

Awkwardly, he mumbled, "Hey there, Captain Overbite and company. Long time, no see. The baby's a new addition to the team, right?"

It quickly became apparent that his attempt at casual small talk to break up the quickly mounting tension was not one of his better ideas. His chosen topic, bringing up the fairy infant while they viewed him as a dangerous enemy, seemed to spark a nerve. Wanda abruptly flew in between the genie and the baby, the fury on her expression reminding Norm once again why it was not wise to bother bear cubs. The fury of a woman scorned has nothing on a protective mother.

"You stay away from Poof," she ordered sharply. "If you even think of laying one hand on him or Timmy, I'll stuff you through a paper shredder."

In an amazing display of self-control, he managed to avoid commenting on the fact the fairies named their child after the sound their wands produced. The mother already looked to be on the verge of violence and even the moron father didn't look like he was in the mood to joke.

"What did he mean 'evil'?" a confused voice, one he wished wasn't present, asked quietly. "What's going on?"

"Kid, listen," the genie began. "The thing is…"

Norm didn't get very far before Turner grabbed Amanda's arm and pulled her behind him. Now there were fairies and the bucked-tooth brat between him and his master.

"Leave her alone," the boy shouted at the magical creature. "Whatever your plan is, you can't use her like you did Chester. If you want to trick, manipulate, and ruin lives, do it somewhere else."

"I don't understand," the girl stated, glancing between the various people. "Norm?"

"It's not like…," he tried to assure as he moved towards her, but two raised wands made him stop.

Turner began explaining, "He's using you, Amanda. I don't know how you got his lamp, but he's just using you. Probably to get back at me, set himself free, or both. I've dealt with the genie before and that's all he ever does. You can't trust him. Even if he acts like he's changed, giving you presents like chocolate, a clone, or string, it's just an act."

"I did like the string," Cosmo added, momentarily looking cheerful at the memory.

"He tried to get rid of my fairies twice so he could be free of his lamp, he teamed up with Crocker against me until the guy drove Norm crazy, and he'll turn any wish against you," the boy continued, speaking too quickly for the genie to interrupt without putting the on-edge mother into attack mode.

In a hesitant and uncertain tone that practically-pained Norm, Amanda argued, "But he's been so nice to me…"

"It's a lie. All he does is lie and ruin everything," Turner stated firmly, his conviction of that fact fueled by the numerous encounters with the genie. "So what's the plan this time? Use my new friend to get close and expose my fairies to the public? Maybe convince her to lead Crocker to Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof? That isn't going to work because she's on our side."

"Look, this isn't what you think," snapped the genie. "And you aren't that perfect and innocent either. If I recall, you're the one who ended things badly on Mars."

"What about Chester?" he reminded, infuriating as always. "You're the one who dragged him into things and made him miserable enough for fairies with his wish, all so you could steal Cosmo and Wand's job and leave me godparent-less. And even at the end, I arranged things so I could get back my fairies and you could stay with Chester, you quit just so you could make us suffer. Freedom and revenge, that's all there is to you. You're nothing but a vindictive jerk who just wants to hurt everyone."

"And you're a spoiled brat who thinks he's the center of the universe," Norm spat back. "It figures that you'd find a way to ruin things without even trying."

"How? By warning Amanda of the truth before you were done using her?" asked Turner. "Sorry, but you're not allowed to manipulate and lie to my friends anymore."

"Timmy," interrupted Wanda, drawing both arguers' attention away from each other and back to their surroundings.

Reminded once again that he wasn't alone with the boy, Norm quickly turned his gaze back to the girl behind Turner. And he instantly regretted looking. He'd seen her upset before because she thought she did something wrong, like when she felt she was getting in her parents' way or that she might ruin Turner's dance. But all of those cases, as much as the genie disliked them, stopped before a certain point. In the months that he'd known Amanda, this was the first time he'd seen the girl in tears.

She wasn't sobbing loudly or making a fuss. That would have caught his attention even while arguing with Turner. She was simply staring at them, at _him_ , while tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. The girl looked lost and hurt. No, that wasn't quite right. She looked _broken_. He knew it would be bad if she learned about his past or what his usual methods tended to be, but he never would have guessed it would do this much damage. Or that he would feel this awful about it.

"Amanda?" began Turner, noticing her distress.

When the boy reached towards her, the girl flinched and took a step away from everyone. Norm, the guy who always knew what to say or do in order to get the proper response from someone, was at a loss. He didn't want to make things worse and he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't cause a disaster. Well, more of a disaster than it already was.

"Poof poof?" the fairy baby added sympathetically, trying to float a little closer to the upset child.

That movement was enough to send her into action. Tears still rolling down her face, she spun around and ran away from the group with the backpack and lava lamp still clutched tightly in her arms.

"Wait, come back," the boy called after her. When Amanda didn't even slow down, Turner glared at the genie, "This is all your fault. This wouldn't have happened if you didn't try some kind of evil plot against me."

The bucked-tooth boy might be wrong about a lot of things, but he was unfortunately right about one important fact. This was Norm's fault. Trying to hide the truth from the girl, keeping her ignorant of even a hint of what he was capable of in the past, made it all the worse when Turner told her exactly what the genie did last time he dealt with the boy. A history of lying and manipulating people combined with obviously keeping secrets wasn't a good thing when it came to trust. She trusted him. She trusted him and the evidence presented to her today suggested she shouldn't. If he'd just told her _something_ before things reached this point, maybe he wouldn't have seen her looking so hurt by the genie.

Glaring slightly at the boy, Norm stated, "Just a piece of information for you, Count Buckula. You're not the center of the universe. Everything _doesn't_ revolve around you."

With that final word, the genie promptly ignored the boy and his fairies' existence. He had more important things to worry about than giving Turner a piece of his mind. Like finding Amanda and making things right. There was exactly one human on this planet who didn't look at him with even mild distrust and she was the only one he didn't want to react like he was a heartless jerk. He had to fix things before he lost the child. He snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_ before the fairies could react or anyone could stop him.

* * *

She ran. She didn't pay attention to where she was going, her sight blurred by tears, and she honestly didn't care where she was headed. She just needed to get away.

She should have known. Amanda knew at the time it was too good to be true. She always knew that she wasn't special, that she wasn't worthy of being anyone's friend, and that her presence was probably just a complete waste of time and energy. She should have known that no one would stay around her simply because they wanted to. There had to be another reason. It only made sense that Norm would have a different motive to stay with her than wanting to be her friend. No one would want to be friends with someone like her.

It shouldn't bother her. Amanda realized how little she had to offer potential friends a long time ago. Her parents didn't want her, so why should anyone else? It shouldn't be that big a deal. Some people are simply a waste of time, energy, and resources. She was one of those useless people. She knew that for a long time, so it really shouldn't surprise her to see proof that she didn't deserve friends. She should have known better. And if he truly wasn't her friend, Timmy probably would end up the same way. He'd grow tired of her. She didn't deserve the genie or the boy's friendship. Even the good-hearted Timmy would realize that and leave eventually. That's just how the world works. This was no different than listening to her parents comment on her undesired presence. It was merely a fact, not something that should bother her.

But it hurt. She knew she didn't have the right, but the girl truly hoped and believed that Norm would be her friend regardless of how little she deserved it. That hope only made things worse. Timmy's words about the genie and how the whole thing was probably a trick not only lived up to her expectations regarding the unlikelihood of someone willingly choosing to be her friend, but it also left a painful lump in her throat and chest she hadn't experienced since Grandma died. She shouldn't be this upset since it only made logical sense looking back, yet it truly left her heart-broken.

Norm didn't stay with her because he liked her. There was no reason to like her. He probably only stayed because she had the lava lamp. He wanted freedom. Timmy said so. She didn't know what to make of all the talk about the past or lies, but she could understand at least that the genie apparently wanted to get free from his lava lamp. If he didn't have to listen to the one with the lamp, he'd probably leave and never come back. He didn't need her or want her. And that hurt all the worse now since she'd begun to need him.

She somehow ended up at the deserted playground. The girl wasn't sure how since everything was blurred by tears and she was practically stumbling around directionlessly, but that's where she was. Regardless of how she managed to get there, Amanda pulled herself onto one of the swings.

* * *

At first, Wanda was equally angry and nervous about the genie's presence. None of them possessed very pleasant memories of their encounters with Norm. She also knew how truly dangerous rule-free magic could be. The pink-haired fairy was prepared to teleport him to the bottom of the sea at the first sign of trouble. And he would be stuck in a Smoof-constructed chest at the bottom of said sea. Far away from Atlantis and Clevelandlantis. She refused to allow her family to be harmed.

But other pieces of information began to assert itself in her mind. Like the strange magic she'd sensed around Amanda from the start and how protective it felt when it emanated from the girl's dress. Or how the child was too happy to be loaned godparents, even with the type of family she possessed. The way she so cheerfully looked at the genie before she noticed everyone else's reaction. How confused Amanda was about the idea of Norm being called evil and how she referred to him as nice. All these clues seemed to fit together like a jigsaw, but the picture they made looked too strange to be real.

As tensions mounted between the genie and Timmy, Wanda was the only one who could pull her gaze even briefly away from the display. She was the only one who first saw tears on the girl's face and the fairy godmother tried to alert Timmy to this fact. She also was the one who saw that, after Amanda fled the scene and the genie exchanged a final venomous remark, there was a brief flash of emotion across Norm's face before he vanished. An expression she would never expect to see on someone like him.

It was a mixture of guilt, pain, and something that took her only a second to recognize. An emotion that could be found in the faces of parents and godparents alike. As strange as it might seem, the genie was looking towards the fleeing child just like she and Cosmo might look at Poof and Timmy.

"Great, now we have to track down Norm to stop him from whatever he's doing this time and figure out what to do to fix things with Amanda," muttered the pink-hatted boy, kicking one of the cardboard boxes. "Can things get any worse?"

"Well, Mr. Crocker could come back or Darth Laser could try to blow up the planet or Jorgen could finally show up," Cosmo began to list helpfully, "or there could be…"

"I don't need examples," interrupted Timmy.

"I'm not quite certain we have to worry about Norm causing trouble at the moment," Wanda commented quietly.

Timmy glanced at her curiously, "Why do you say that?"

"Just a feeling," she answered, not certain how to explain her guesses and her instincts concerning what she'd observed without her godchild instantly dismissing it.

The boy stared at his godmother for a moment before simply shaking his head and apparently turned his attention to the next problem. She didn't doubt for a second that he would bring this up later if his short attention span didn't make him forget, but at least Timmy was letting the matter drop for now.

"Fine, let's go find Amanda and make sure she's okay then."

"Poof poof poof," remarked the fairy infant.

Turning towards his god-brother, the boy explained, "I know she apparently wants to be alone. But we should at least check on her. We don't even have to let her know we're there. If it looks like she's all right, we can just silently slip away."

"Like ninjas," added Cosmo cheerfully.

Poof instantly brightened at the word, the magical baby being a fan of such things after watching the movie _vaguely_ based on Timmy's first actions as the Chosen One. And even if watching that kind of violent programming allowed the fairy to cause a jail break, Wanda was still not happy about her child spending too much time enjoying ninja movies and other impressionable violence.

"Exactly," nodded Timmy. "We'll only interfere if she needs us. Otherwise, we'll wait until things calm down a little before we bother her."

"And maybe we'll figure out why Jorgen isn't here," the green-haired fairy suggested.

This made his wife frown in puzzlement. It _was_ strange that Amanda finding out about them didn't capture the muscular fairy's attention. As far as she knew, merely gaining a genie wasn't enough to exempt someone from causing godparents to leave their godchild. And Jorgen was generally quick to respond. Either something major was distracting him or something else was at work.

"As long as he isn't here, I'm happy," Timmy muttered. Then, in a louder voice, he announced, "I wish we could go wherever Amanda is and that me and my fairies won't be seen or heard by anyone else."

Two wands and a rattle were raised and they vanished from near the dumpster with a _poof_. They reappeared in some bushes near the playground. From their new position, Wanda could see the crying girl curled up on a swing. Every maternal instinct told her to go and give the child a hug.

Then she noticed they weren't the only ones observing the brunette girl.

* * *

He was still a short distance away, watching her and trying to figure out how to do this. Norm knew he wasn't a coward, but crossing the playground to the swing set seemed like such a daunting challenge now. A part of him wanted to go hide in Canada, tormenting the population while waiting for things to calm down. The rest of him knew he couldn't. The genie couldn't leave her in tears any longer. That was the thought that finally prompted him forward. He needed to stop her from crying.

Drawing closer, various ideas of how to let Amanda know he was present flickered through his mind. Everything from a clever comment to simply poking her was considered and rejected. Finally, he decided to sit on the swing next to her. Well, "sit" might not be a perfect description for a being without legs. He was closer to floating above the swing with his smoky tail draped over to give the impression the genie was sitting next to her. She didn't even look up.

"Hey, kid," he greeted softly. When she flinched at his voice, but didn't raise her head, Norm tried again, "Amanda."

This time, she reluctantly raised her head a little. Her eyes weren't meeting his, but it was still progress. Her legs were pulled up on her perch with her backpack and lava lamp resting on her lap. Her gaze was focused on her knees, unable to look at anything else. His master had shrank back into being that mouse-like child that he first saw in Shadowville. Shy and heart-broken; that was what she'd turned into around him rather than demonstrating that cheerful smile when she attended the Snow Ball. He worked hard to promote her self-confidence and now it was all undone.

"I should have told you before this," he muttered, pulling his sunglasses off and twisting them between his fingers anxiously.

"So it's true," she sniffled, barely understandable at her low volume and wavering voice.

"Yes and no," the genie admitted reluctantly. "I didn't lie to you when I said that Turner and I didn't depart on the best of terms. I just left out a few details. My past isn't exactly flattering at times and I didn't want to bring up those events."

The girl rubbed a tear away and asked quietly, "So y-you really tried to do b-bad things to Timmy and Chester? Because you w-wanted to be free of y-your lamp and for r-revenge?"

"Yes, I wanted both of those things and I… was willing to use the boys to achieve those goals," he responded quietly. "Messing with people's lives and taking advantage of circumstances that might equal an escape route are about the only things I had going for me. That's what genies do for fun or to maintain some level of sanity." Trying to keep it from sounding completely bad, Norm honestly pointed out, "And Turner tends to be able to take care of himself, regardless of what I or anyone else might try."

She didn't respond, so the genie stared at his master in the hopes that he would spot a hint to what he could do to fix the situation. He couldn't lie to her, not with Turner throwing accusations around like rice at a wedding. Conflicting stories would only make things worse. He couldn't evade and conceal the truth by omission, not anymore. That was how things ended up as a mess in the first place. He couldn't manipulate the facts or her in order to achieve his desired outcome. All he could use was the plain and simple truth, something that rarely served the genie well in the past and that he preferred not to rely on. He only ever tried it when it helped make him look good and would help to strengthen his lies, something that was certainly not the case currently. But if the truth was all he had at his disposal to salvage even a shred of Amanda's trust, he was going to tell her everything and hope it would be enough.

"Yes, I used a couple of kids to try and achieve what I wanted and I didn't feel bad about it at the time," he admitted. "Actually, I don't even feel guilty about it now. It isn't like my plan worked in the end and none of them ended up any worse than before."

It probably wasn't the best idea to acknowledge that he didn't mind the fact he used Chester and Turner, but Norm was in the middle of sharing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. There were likely people in courtrooms less honest than he was being. Only the image of Amanda in tears could force the genie to do something so against his nature, neither insulting nor manipulating with his words. This was something she'd been accomplishing subtly over the months he'd known her, though he still tended to tease her out of habit. That was just part of her power, one not based on any form of magic. She could induce guilt when nothing else could and she could make him admit the less endearing facts of his past by simply crying because of secrets. Anything he kept from her before, he would share now because she _deserved_ to know.

"I even helped Turner with some revenge against Crockpot once," he pointed out. "Granted, that was a very short-lived truce and after spending time with the crazy teacher as my master. After dealing with the Hunchback of Never-Dated-a-Dame, even Turner seemed like an improvement. While he wasn't the worst human I ever got stuck with, he's certainly one of the most annoying and addicted to complicated plans."

"I'm sorry," Amanda sniffled, finally speaking again in a slightly louder voice. "Y-you were stuck with someone because they g-got your lamp. Even if y-you don't like them."

Happy to receive a louder response from the girl, even one made with a particularly wavering voice, he shrugged, "That's just part of the whole _fantastic_ genie setup. Random masters that you get stuck with. You learn to deal with it. Generally by ruining others' lives as compensation. Like sending Crockpot to Mars and enjoying pizza while he suffocated."

"B-but it isn't fair. You shouldn't be stuck with someone you don't like," she continued, her eyes flickering briefly towards him before falling on the lava lamp. "You should have the choice to go away if you w-want. You should be able to g-go away and enjoy a life away from people y-you don't want to waste time with or are j-just in the way."

There was something about her wording that made him uneasy. Generally, he would have been thrilled by the idea of someone actually noticing that genies have a rather unpleasant lot in life, but somehow this didn't make him feel better when she said it.

"I should fix that," she mumbled, staring down at the lamp intently. There was something in her tone that reminded Norm of when Amanda made her first wish. When she decided to use magic to improve someone else's life rather than her own. "If I wished you were free, you wouldn't have to stay around someone like me. Then everyone would be happier and you wouldn't have to pretend anymore. You won't be stuck with me."


	19. Answers

Timmy glared suspiciously from his hiding place as the genie spoke to Amanda. He knew it was all an act, some incredibly elaborate plot to achieve his evil and cruel goals. That was the sort of thing Norm _did_. Experience certainly demonstrated that fact. Even if he might display a pleasant personality in order to win over Amanda, there was undoubtedly an ulterior motive involved somewhere. As soon as Timmy figured it out or he saw a hint that Norm was about to do something to the girl, the pink-hatted boy would wish for the genie and lava lamp to end up on a desolate asteroid.

At least, that was the plan when he first started observing Norm's interactions with the girl. That was why he silently fumed from his hiding place as the genie presented an undoubtedly-false mask of kindness and guilt towards Amanda and delivered a surprisingly-truthful admission of past crimes. He couldn't figure out how this might fit into his master plan yet, but Timmy knew there must be an explanation. An explanation that would prove the "nice guy" act towards Amanda was just that: an act.

His intentions to wait until that plan became clear abruptly became derailed when the girl offered to free Norm. Even if he didn't have the best grades at school, Timmy was smart enough to recognize how dangerous it would be to sever the only restraint that stood in Norm's way: the lamp.

Disregarding his earlier decision to remain hidden, the pink-hatted boy burst out of the bushes and shouted, "Don't do it. It's a trap."

When she and the genie didn't even flinch in response to his outburst, Cosmo reminded helpfully, "You wished for no one to see or hear you. That includes those two, remember? Yelling at them won't work. Watch." His fairy godfather _poofed_ up an oversized megaphone and shouted into it, " _ **Hello! If you can't hear us, don't do anything!**_ "

" _Terrific_ ," Timmy growled to himself once his ears stopped ringing. "Another wish that comes back to bite me."

"It does seem to happen fairly often," the green-haired fairy nodded cheerfully.

Before he could determine if it was too late or not to save the situation by reversing his previous wish and delivering his frantic warning, a small and round figure latched onto his arm. Poof stared up at him, confused and concerned as he held back his god-brother as best the floating baby could manage. It was clear the infant fairy wanted answers about what was going on. Or perhaps he simply understood something the pink-hatted boy was trying to deny. Either way, Poof was obviously trying to direct his attention to the scene before them, but only to observe instead of interfere.

* * *

Shock, pure and concentrated, hit the genie with all the force of a tsunami. All of his millennia of experience and even all his plans to trick his way out of his situation didn't prepare him for this. Even on his best day and at his most optimistic, he never thought he would ever _truly_ hear this. He might've considered the possibility of tricking or scheming his way to victory, but not the idea of having the one thing in the universe he desired above all others simply offered to him with no strings attached.

Freedom. He could be free. That practically-unobtainable prize was finally within reach. The connection to the lava lamp could be broken. He wouldn't be trapped in a small space for centuries at a time. He would have the single most important thing that every genie tried to achieve. It was so close that he could feel it. Shattering his bonds and answering to no one, he would have everything he wanted since the beginning. Granted, some of his larger-scale reality-rewriting magic would no longer be an option after being freed, but all of his more usual tricks would still be available and it was a small price to pay. He could have it. He could be free and he would never be forced to obey any idiotic human who managed to find the lava lamp. Every rational thought and millennia of desiring true freedom were practically screaming at him to grant the wish before the child could take it back. Her phrasing might not be perfect and it was intended hypothetically so far, but she _did_ say "I wish you were free."

He could do it. It wouldn't even be that difficult to consider her words a proper wish. He'd worked with far less material before. Or, if he didn't want to work with a hypothetical statement from her, it would only take the tiniest prompt for his master to say the words every genie dreamt of. He could have his freedom in moments. It would be so easy and so satisfying. Everything, even revenge against Turner or tormenting Canada, paled in comparison. His other near-victories were more imperfect and conditional escapes, reversible under the right circumstances. This one, being wished free, was far more permanent and tempting to the genie. No one in their right mind could resist or reject such an offer. He wanted his freedom too badly.

But…

* * *

He didn't immediately respond or react to her words. She glanced up at him briefly. His eyes simply stared forward as he "sat" on the swing, his stunned expression clearly visible since his sunglasses were dangling uselessly in his hand. Amanda could see that he did want what she was offering, a strong hint of desire hidden partially behind his shock. Timmy was right about Norm wanting his freedom, which meant the rest was probably true too. It was all a trick and he only stayed because he wasn't free. He never wanted her around, so she should just go ahead and let him loose.

Closing her eyes and tightening her grip on the lava lamp, she quietly shoved down the selfish urge to ask him to stay or to ask why he would bother to pretend to like her in the first place. But it didn't matter and it wasn't as if she should be surprised by how things turned out. That's just how the world works. The last few months seemed like such a fantastic dream with her life turning into something far too wonderful to be believed, but now it was time to wake up.

Ready to do the right thing, she said, "I wi—"

A hand abruptly covered her mouth, silencing the girl and startling her. Her eyes flew open. Floating in front of her now, Norm was staring at her while his hand remained in place. Without offering the chance for her to speak, his smoky tail reached over and wrapped around the backpack and lava lamp. Maintaining eye contact and keeping his hand over her mouth, the genie gently set the belongings on the ground below the swing.

Only after the lava lamp was safely out of her hands did he pull his palm away from the girl's face and whispered, "Two wishes, kid. You have two of them left."

"B-but I thought you—"

"Listen carefully," Norm interrupted. "I'm not going to lie. Freedom is a rather popular goal for genies. We all want it and all of us try to get it, but that doesn't mean you should use your second wish for it. That's more of a final wish thing. After all, I'm practically free at the moment anyway, so I can wait for the third wish."

Sniffling, Amanda asked, "Why w-would you wait? You wouldn't have to s-stay."

"I _want_ to stay, kid. I wouldn't hang around you otherwise. I don't put up with idiots, after all," he responded, smirking slightly at the end in a familiar way.

Her head dropped down and her hands gripped the chains of the swing tightly. It _sounded_ promising and she wanted to believe what he was telling her, but she was too afraid to take a chance. There was no reason why he would be serious about wanting to stay with her. Maybe before everything became complicated and it happened so gradually, she could pretend that someone might see her as something beyond a waste of time and energy. Now she didn't want to risk being hurt by getting her hopes up again. She wasn't supposed to get in people's way, so why would someone purposefully stay if they didn't have to?

"Why?" asked the child, her eyes locked on the ground. "I'm n-not special or important enough for someone to… to want or like… or anything. You _can't_ want to stay with me. No one would… I know that."

"I swear, giving your parents a one-way ticket to Mars would do the whole world a favor," Norm growled under his breath.

His hand reached under her chin, forcing Amanda to look up and meet the genie's gaze. The annoyance that always crossed her parents' faces, the evidence of how unwanted she was, did not lurk in Norm's expression. In fact, she never saw such a look from him except possibly when they first met and she wouldn't make a wish. Most of his expressions that he aimed at her ranged from gently teasing to amusement at her questions to relaxed to something that might resemble… affection. Like how Grandma used to look at her. He never acted like she got in the way or was wasting his time. Norm encouraged her, played chess and told her stories, and created a beautiful dress for her to wear to the Snow Ball. He treated her like she was special, unlike everyone else she knew before gaining the lava lamp. The genie acted like the sort of person who _would_ choose to stay around her, as impossible as it might seem. But years of experience made it hard to accept fully, even as hope tried to grow stronger based on her actual interactions with him.

His hand still under her chin, Norm stated quietly, "I didn't plan on admitting this out loud to anyone. I do have a reputation, after all. But apparently you're not going to believe me about wanting to stay otherwise. So pay close attention. I am not that big fan of humanity. I really don't care whether most of them are alive or dead. And a few of them I actually hate. Turner is a good example of one I am not particularly fond of. He has plenty of reason to suspect the worst of me, but that's not the point. I would rather ignore and avoid most of them… or torment them a little for fun. Like I said, messing with people with magic is sort of a major hobby for genies. But there is one exception to my low opinion of the general human population."

There was a brief pause in his words, but all the girl had time to do before he continued his blunt expression of his feelings regarding mankind in general and her specifically was stare.

Finally removing his hand from under her chin, he poked her in the chest, "You, Amanda, are different. You're smarter than most people would give you credit for, you are thoughtful about your actions so that you don't make spontaneous decisions that cause trouble for you or others, and you care way too much about other people even when you're ignoring how unfair your own life is. Honestly, you should have either been awarded a fairy godparent years ago or made a saint. Those morons you call parents don't even realize what they have right in front of them. They lived with you since you were born, but I figured it out before them. Granted, I'm definitely smarter than most of the humans wandering around this planet, but you'd think they would have recognized that you're not some annoying burden eventually. Any other human who stumbled onto the lava lamp would have wasted all the wishes a long time ago. You're not like them. You're better than that."

Amanda started to open her mouth to protest, but the genie shook his head to silence her and he pulled his hand away. Norm crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Nope, you're going to have to accept it. You _are_ special, kid. I wouldn't stick around like this otherwise. I'd be hiding out in Hawaii or Jamaica or even Canada, waiting to be summoned for a wish rather than spending time hanging out with whoever the current master I'm working for turned out to be. Not even a revenge plot against Turner would make me spend excessive time with a human unless I _wanted_ to. And I definitely wouldn't give just any human a dress for a dance without making them wish for it." In a quieter voice, he added, "Or let them give me a hug." Clearing his throat, the genie continued, "So when I tell you that I want to stay with you and I'm not doing because I _have_ to, you better believe it. I'm perfectly happy with how things are now and I don't plan to leave unless _you_ tell me to."

He paused briefly, shifting his shades between his fingers again. It was rare that he didn't wear them for a long stretch of time, but he seemed too distracted to put them back on yet.

"I mean it. Even if you wish me free right this second, and thus wasting at least one perfectly good second wish, I intend to continue our chess games and such unless you ask me to leave you alone. There would be nothing at all to keep me here, but I'd stay anyway, kid."

Feeling overwhelmed, confused, hopeful, and nervous about what his answer might be, the girl asked quietly, "Why?"

This time, it was the genie's eyes that dropped to the ground as he answered, "I told you. You're the exception. I'm indifferent to or hate the rest of humanity, but you're the exception to that rule." His voice lowering once more to something barely audible, Norm explained, "I sort of… kind of… like you, kid. I might have grown a little attached to you and don't want to let go just yet."

He quickly cleared his throat again and deliberately looked anywhere but at her. It would have been amusing to realize that the genie was rather embarrassed by his admission, but Amanda was too busy with the words rather than his behavior.

He liked her. He wanted to stay with her. He was flat out telling her that. People didn't say that sort of thing to her. But Norm just did. He was actually telling her that he didn't view her in the same light that the rest of the world saw her. Or how she saw herself. And… she believed him. There was something about how uncomfortable he looked admitting it that made it hard to believe that he wasn't being honest.

And if she actually possessed friends, if Norm truly cared about her, then it was possible Timmy saw her as a friend too. Or rather, a back-up friend. But that's still a friend. It was the domino effect. The possibility of one person choosing to stay with her on their own free will increased the probability of someone else making the same choice. It suggested that she was worth something, that she might even deserve to have a few things like friendship and similar concepts. Just like the genie kept telling her. And even if she wasn't willing to admit that she was theoretically worthy of such things just like anyone else, at least not in the past, he apparently felt differently and she was beginning to wonder if Norm might be partially… right. After all, he was discouraging her from wishing him free at this moment. If he was willing to delay something like that, surely he saw something in her that was worth it. She didn't know what she might be actually worth, but it was apparently _something_.

She remembered how he reacted the last time she tried it, but Amanda couldn't resist the urge. She flung herself off the swing and wrapped her arms around the genie in a tight hug. Once again, he stiffened in response to her actions, but didn't say a word.

After a moment, however, she felt the top of her head being patted gently.

* * *

Wanda could see Timmy's jaw drop when Norm stopped the girl from making the wish for his freedom. In all honesty, she was surprised herself. Even with her suspicions about the genie's motivations concerning the girl, she wasn't prepared. It was one thing to believe that he truly cared about a child and quite another to witness him turn down an opportunity to be free of his lava lamp. Ever since they first encountered the genie, his every plan seemed to be focused either on revenge or freedom and the latter tended to take precedent. The fact that he was postponing the wish proved to the pink-haired fairy, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that her suspicions were completely true. In fact, they were far more accurate than what she guessed.

"What in the world is going on here?" asked the pink-hatted boy after several moments of trying to regain his voice and listening to the quiet conversation.

"Poof poof poof?" the fairy infant suggested.

"I can see they're talking, but what's going on with Norm?" Timmy clarified. He pointed towards the girl and genie, "He's over there, turning down the chance to be free and destroy us, attack Canada, and whatever else that pops into his head. Remember when he was working for Chester? Why isn't he doing that stuff, freed from his lava lamp? Why is he still trying to trick her into something by acting nice like that, but skipping the 'wish to be free' offer?"

"I don't know," shrugged Cosmo. "He's just talking. Maybe he's turning over a new leaf."

"Come on, be serious," the boy rolled his eyes. Then, he stared at his pink-haired godmother suspiciously, "Would this have anything to do with why you said you didn't think we had to worry about him too much?"

Still listening carefully to the genie and girl's conversation a short distance away, Wanda replied, "Yes, this is exactly why I didn't think he'd be causing trouble."

"Then what is going on here? Why is he tossing away his chance at freedom like that? All that guy cares about is freedom and revenge, remember? So please explain what's going on with him. He's giving Amanda a pep talk. That's not normal."

As Norm's voice dropped even softer to a point that the hidden fairies and boy couldn't make out the words, the magical godmother carefully stated, "Sport, I know I barely believed it when I figured it out, but you'll have to simply accept it. He's not letting her make that wish and trying to cheer her up right now, from what I can tell, for the same reason why… Cosmo and I try to make your life better."

"Because it's our job as fairies?" her husband asked in a confused voice. Then, one of those rare moments of clarity and understanding seemed to dawn on the green-haired fairy. "Oh, so Norm actually cares about Amanda and isn't trying to do some kind of plan. And she likes him back to the point where they're family."

When Wanda nodded in confirmation, Timmy just stared at Cosmo in disbelief, "Okay, that has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard. Norm isn't anything like you guys. If he actually has a heart under all that snarky comments and revenge-seeking, it has to be a shriveled up husk. It isn't quite 'Vicky'-levels of evilness, but give me one good piece of proof that he can care about someone other than himself."

"How about him and Amanda hugging?" suggested the green-haired fairy, pointing.

"Wait, what?" he asked before turning around to see what was going on.

* * *

Timmy's jaw dropped. Amanda actually had her arms around the genie in what could only be described as a hug. Even though his mind tried to devise an alternative explanation, he just couldn't find it. It was definitely a hug. And Norm wasn't even shoving her away or trying to get out of the embrace. After a second, he even patted her head. It looked a little awkward on the genie's end, but it was definitely a hug.

Yep, the world had officially gone mad.

* * *

When his godchild stared in shock at the spectacle, Cosmo added helpfully, "Maybe it's like that Christmas story of the grumpy green-furred guy that stole a bunch of candy canes and presents from everyone that lived in town while wearing a disguise as Santa, dragged all their stuff up to his curly mountain, and continued to speak in rhyme with made-up words while committing those crimes. Then the weird guy's heart grew a few sizes after everyone down in town started singing without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe it happened to Norm too. I mean, he was in Fairy Idol where there was a bunch of singing and there weren't that many containers there. Maybe it qualified."

Timmy glanced briefly between his fairies and the odd display of sentimentality near the swing set, his expression never shifting from utter confusion and disbelief. Wanda could see that her godchild was trying, with some real difficulty, to accept the evidence right in front of him. It was certainly a strong change from how experience portrayed the genie and the pink-haired fairy was only accepting it a little better because she'd been working on her theory of another magical figure in Amanda's life prior to the discovery. Fully embracing the fact that Norm clearly cared about the girl would take a little time.

"I would like to say that was the weirdest theory I ever heard, but I've been around Cosmo too long for that to be true," the pink-hatted boy finally muttered, shaking his head. "I'd also like to say this was one of the weirder days I've ever experience, but it doesn't even make the top ten." Glancing up at Wanda, he remarked tiredly, "I'm not even going to try talking to any of them right now. As long as Jorgen doesn't decide to make his overdue arrival about Amanda seeing my fairies, I plan to go home. There's no emergency, no 'end of the world' at stake, and everything seems to be more or less under control, so I'm going home. And when I get home, I'm going to stick myself under the bed and pretend this whole afternoon didn't happen until it either makes sense or she comes looking for me."

Poof tilted his head, looking at his god-brother oddly. If Wanda had to guess, she would assume that her baby was wondering what was going on to make everyone act so strange about Norm and Amanda talking. The pink-haired fairy took a moment to give the infant a reassuring smile and he seemed to accept that everything would be all right now.

Sighing tiredly, Timmy stated, "I wish that we were back in my room and that we could be seen and heard by others again."

Wanda waved her wand a little faster than her husband, making sure that their vanishing _poof_ was still undetectable by the girl and genie a short distance away just in case Cosmo had ideas.

* * *

Anti-Wanda was singing to herself as she decorated. Her husband had a wonderful and brilliant plan in place. She knew it was wonderful and brilliant because _he_ was wonderful and brilliant. And anything he came up with would have to be so too or else he wouldn't come up with it. Or something like that. If she tried to figure out the logic behind it, she tended to give herself a headache. It was better when she simply shrugged and let Anti-Cosmo figure out all the hard stuff and she enjoyed a sandwich with a slight foot flavor to it.

Yes, his plan was really smart and complicated. And he was working with the pixies so that they could cover any problems. They were supposed to be really smart too about finding small details, so they could probably help Anti-Cosmo make his plan even brilliant-er. And there wouldn't even be a chance for them to start stabbing each other in the back since they wanted the same sort of thing of stopping the boy with the pink hat. There were contracts and everything to make sure that everyone worked together nicely. At least until the human boy was gone. Then they could go back to causing bad luck properly.

Of course, she wanted to help her husband make everything work right this time, but she wasn't all that great at thinking and being smart-ical. So she decided to decorate the large room in the castle that they would be using. If it looked nice and festive, maybe everyone would be in a good mood and it'll help make the complicated plan work. Besides, it was sort of fun to decorate.

Covering everything in a layer of red and green, Anti-Wanda sang off-key, "Jingling bells, jingling bells… something something red-nosed snowman named Frosty. Lalala. Oh, what fun on a foggy night that Santa was made of snow, but the kiddies know how he wore a top hat and a button nose. Lalala. Dashing through the snow, in a reindeer games that involve sleighs and something something something in a winter wonderland. And a guy named Rudolph who wasn't allowed to play."

Pausing briefly to admire her work, she gave a large grin that prominently showed her crooked teeth. If her Anti-Cosmo wasn't impressed by how good she decorated, she didn't know what would. Then, just because it would feel wrong not to include it, she added a wreath above one of the doorways. The holly that formed the circle contained exactly thirteen red berries. No anti-fairy form of decorating would be complete without a hint of something unlucky, after all.


	20. Truce

Elmer stared at an empty spot on the park bench. Every Tuesday (baring unusual requests from Timmy), he and Sanjay would get together to work on one of their hobbies together. Building models, working on their strategies at checkers, and arranging their communal collection of stamps was just a few examples of how they might spend that time. But things were changing and the red-haired boy wasn't sure he was happy with it.

It all started when Trixie abruptly selected Sanjay to be her date for the Snow Ball, something absolutely impossible for anyone at school to imagine. Everyone knew that a relationship like that couldn't last, even if most of them were still freaking out about the formation of such a pairing in the first place. And they were right. Immediately afterwards, news that the pair was no longer dating spread like wildfire. Unfortunately, there were side effects.

Serving as Trixie's tutor might protect Sanjay from bullies, but it also cut into his free time. That was why Elmer was sitting alone. While his friend might assure him that he only needed to work out a schedule that would allow him to both tutor the popular girl and spend time with the boy with the boil, Elmer knew it would never be the same. A least a hint of Trixie's popularity would splash onto Sanjay and he would start making new friends and Elmer would be left behind.

Perhaps Sanjay would never call him "Other Empty Bus Seat," but it was still something to worry about. He didn't want to be left behind while his friends climbed the social ladder.

"You should have let me conquer the world a long time ago," Bob hissed into his mind, the boil sounding particularly intent on convincing the boy today. "The ruler of the planet is _always_ at the top of the social ladder. You wouldn't have this problem then."

"I'm not listening," he stated, covering his ears even while knowing it wouldn't do any good.

"You shouldn't have trusted them," the boil continued. "First Timmy replaces you with Amanda. Then Sanjay does with Trixie. We both know I'm you only real friend. _I'll_ never leave you."

"That's because you're attached to my face," he pointed out.

"Irrelevant," Bob declared. "Besides, once I enslave or destroy everyone during my conquest of the planet, you'll never have to worry about anything again. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Elmer argued, "I don't want to take over the world. And I need you to stop saying things like that in my head. It's creepy."

"Blah blah blah, your needs."

The boy tuned out the voice and returned his focus to the real world. Sitting alone on a park bench, waiting and wishing for someone who wasn't going to come, Elmer found it a little difficult to remember that Bob was wrong about his friends.

* * *

Sanjay felt bad about missing his weekly meeting with Elmer after school. They'd been working on organizing several new stamps. But Trixie assured him that things would go more smoothly in the future and Tuesdays would go back to being normal.

To say that he was surprised when Trixie contacted him about no longer being a couple would be a lie. The bespectacled boy knew this would happen from the start. What was surprising was the fact she still wanted to be friends and to accept his offer to help with her comic collection, albeit by disguising the relationship as that of a tutor and a student in need of help. While Sanjay was against the idea of lying to people, he could certainly understand if Trixie as reluctant to tell the entire school the truth. Maybe he could do a little tutoring on occasion so it wouldn't be completely a lie.

Sanjay shook his hand, the fingers cramping slightly from gripping the pen for too long. There were some things that he'd never imagined due to his low social ranking within the school. One of those things was the reason why he was missing out on spending time with Elmer. It was unbelievable how much paperwork it apparently took to arrange unpopular protection. Trixie dealt with her half on Monday, clarifying the various articles that would be required in this situation. And now he just needed to sign his signature. A lot.

Trixie came back into the room and sat another stack of paper down, an apologetic look on her face. Sanjay briefly wondered if his hand could fall off due to overwriting.

* * *

He knew even as he reluctantly agreed to this that it wouldn't end well. No good could come from placing him and Turner in the same room, especially so soon after their last less-than-civil meeting. But Amanda asked him to at least try and work things out a little, so he agreed. Norm didn't want to make her choose between him and Turner. He already knew who she would choose; she'd made that offer the day she met the bucked-toothed boy. But it wasn't something he wanted her to do since, as much as he despised the brat, Turner was apparently the first friend her own age and species that Amanda ever had and he wasn't that bad at being her friend so far.

She was going to Turner's house after school and Norm was waiting impatiently for Amanda to summon him from the lava lamp. She promised to wait until all three fairies were accounted for and everyone seemed to be in a non-murderous mood. It wasn't an ideal plan, but he highly doubted she would go along with sticking the annoying wand-wavers under a butterfly net and tying Turner to a set of railroad tracks. So he would let her find out if it was a trap before he made his appearance.

Norm closed his eyes briefly, trying to focus. As much as he would love another verbal sparring match against the boy, with perhaps a little magical revenge, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk anything that might hurt Amanda like that again. Even if it meant playing nice with Turner and his fairies.

A hesitant rub of the lamp and he appeared right next to the girl, his arms crossed and his eyes glaring slightly over his sunglasses. The meeting place appeared to be the bucked-tooth loser's bedroom. Turner was standing at the other end next to his bed and the nightstand with the fishbowl. He was returning the genie's glare quite firmly, pausing only to flash a slight smile towards Amanda in an apparent attempt to reassure her that the hostility wasn't directed towards her.

Floating behind him, not quite as on edge today as they were the last time they met, was the boy's fairies. They were tense, but not as much as before. Norm didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad. It might be a sign they were planning some form of trap to spring on him. Or it might mean they were also willing to try and work things out peacefully. The genie was more likely to believe the former than the latter. First sign of trouble and he was _gonging_ out of there with his master.

"All right, we're all here," he muttered. "Let's get on with the whole afterschool special about getting along, teamwork, and garbage like that."

"Come on, Norm," urged Amanda. "Don't be like that. Can't we try and get along? I thought we were trying to be nice and not fight."

"I'm not fighting with them. _Yet_ ," he pointed out quietly.

"Please, Norm?" she asked.

"Fine. But one wrong move from the wand-wavers or if I hear Count Buckula say the words 'I wish,' we're getting out of here immediately."

"And if you try snapping your fingers, we're sending you to the Antarctic," muttered Turner under his breath.

"Is that where the penguins are or is that polar bears?" asked Cosmo cheerfully. "Or maybe that's where kangaroos live. I can't ever keep them straight."

Rolling his eyes at the green fairy's words, the genie glanced towards Wanda and said, "And you _married_ this guy?"

"Norm, that's not very nice," Amanda stated as the pink-haired fairy directed a glare at him, though not a very scathing one.

"Come on. You can't expect me to not say something when he's babbling gibberish like that."

"Well, this is off to a pleasant start," muttered Turner dryly. "How was this a good idea again?"

"Poof poof?" the floating infant interjected.

"Please, can we just try to get along for a few minutes," the girl asked, glancing around the room. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the lava lamp, the same way she would sometimes hug her teddy bear when she was uncomfortable. When everyone fell silent and managed to restrict themselves to just suspicious glances at each other, she continued, "How about we start by just asking each other questions? We could do it one at a time and go from there."

The genie crossed his arms slightly, but didn't argue at the kid's suggestion. He was going to try and not upset her again. And that mean he would try to get along with Turner and his fairies for however long this took. But the temptation to insert a snarky comment directed towards them was so strong. They might as well glue a target to the boy's forehead and hand Norm a fistful of darts. Keeping him in the same room as Turner was just asking for trouble.

But he was _trying_ for Amanda's sake.

Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention towards the floating fairies and asked nervously, "I think it might be a good idea to ask what your names are. We haven't really been introduced yet."

"Sure thing," smiled the green-haired one cheerfully. He floated closer to her and said, "I'm Cosmo."

"And I'm Wanda," his wife added, joining him as they floated near the girl.

In unison, the couple declared, "And we're… _Timmy's Fairy Godparents!_ "

As the pink and green figures stated this fact to her, they also _poofed_ up a large sign with flashing lights to help support their title. Norm barely restrained himself from _gonging_ out of there with the girl before he realized they were just showing off and it wasn't part of a trap. He still didn't trust a fairy as far as he could throw Jorgen.

"And this is Poof," Turner explained helpfully, pointing at the small purple-eyed fairy that was smiling at the girl. "He's my fairy god-brother."

Giggling slightly as the floating infant drew closer to her, Amanda commented, "He's kind of cute."

"Poof poof poof," remarked the round figure.

"Yeah, adorable," Norm muttered, trying to keep his voice at least low enough that Wanda didn't hear him. "Just what the world needs. Another annoying fairy."

"Okay, I've got a question for you then," said Turner, taking a step forward while eyeing the genie cautiously. "How did you know about my fairy godparents before yesterday? Because you weren't even a little surprised when you saw them under Crocker's net."

"I figured it out when you invited me to your house and you were cleaning the bathroom," she answered, glancing at the ground uncomfortably. "I was coming upstairs to ask you something and I heard you talking with them. And I remembered all the pink, green, and purple stuff around you. So when I got home, I asked Norm about it. He already told me about fairies and genies and stuff, so I asked him if he knew if you had fairy godparents. He said you did, but he also told me you probably wouldn't be happy if you knew I knew."

"You can say that again," the pink-hatted boy muttered. "I kept expecting Jorgen to show up any… Wait, why didn't Jorgen show up yesterday? Or even before that when Amanda figured it out?" He glanced towards the pink-haired fairy, "Does it not count if someone has a genie or something?"

"No, it shouldn't work like that," Wanda answered, frowning slightly. "Jorgen still should have shown up when she figured things out. Unless he was _really_ distracted and continued to be distracted yesterday and today, he should have appeared to deal with this."

Smirking slightly, Norm peered at them over his sunglasses, "He's not going to notice this. Unless he actually sees her here with the fairies, he's never going to know that the kid figured out Turner's secret."

"And why is that?" bucked-tooth boy asked suspiciously.

"Because I wished for it," stated Amanda. When her audience turned towards the girl, she explained, "When Norm was telling me about fairies and other magical creatures, he mentioned that if someone figured out a child had them, the godparents have to go away. I didn't want to accidentally cause something like that if I ever met someone with fairies. It didn't seem fair and I couldn't stand the idea of separating someone like that. So I made a wish to keep it from happening, just like how other kids with fairies can know about each other without something bad happening."

"The only wish she's made," the genie muttered under his breath.

A grin quickly spread across Turner's face as he apparently considered the implications and he said, "You mean, I finally have someone I can talk about my fairies with that won't result in them going away forever? Not someone who'll get insanely jealous and try to get rid of them with a Magical Duel like Remy did? That's awesome. I won't have to make excuses or lie about stuff that Cosmo and Wanda _poof_ up. And I can show you all the cool stuff that we do without worry about anything."

The pink-hatted boy looked so excited about the prospect of sharing his secret with someone else, but Norm couldn't care less about what the loser thought. He was watching Amanda's reaction. She started out a little surprised and hesitant in response to Turner's outburst, but a small smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. His enthusiasm at including her in his adventures and fun fed that small spark of self-confidence and self-worth that the genie was trying so hard to help grow. _This_ was why he was going along with the meeting and why he'd not left yet. As long as the boy was making Amanda happy, Norm would deal with his hatred for Turner in a way that wouldn't interfere with her.

Still, it was mildly surprising that the boy agreed to this meeting in the first place. It was even more shocking to the genie that he wasn't using the opportunity to try and sow further doubt into the girl's head. Last time he saw Turner by the dumpster, he was just as suspicious and resentful of Norm as ever. So what changed his mind enough to agree to this? The genie was doing it because he cared for Amanda far too much not to at least make the attempt to work something out with her friend. What was Turner's excuse? Why was the boy trying to be civil this time?

As Turner started to calm down from his initial excitement at the idea of having a friend who he could talk about magical stuff with that wouldn't cause instant fairy removal, the boy glanced curiously towards Norm and remarked, "So, when did you come across his lamp? A couple of days ago? A week?"

"I got his lava lamp for my birthday," Amanda stated, glancing down at it in her hands. "That was back in early September."

" _September_? That was months ago," said the boy.

"Oh look," smirked the genie. "Crackpot Crocker's lessons are paying off. You figured that out all by yourself. You should be so proud."

Turner glared briefly at him before clarifying, "I mean, doesn't that seem like kind of a long time between wishes? She only gets three of them, right?"

"And it took her two and half months to make her first one," Norm nodded. "The 'not making fairies leave' wish."

"I'd hate to imagine the magical backup that would cause," remarked Cosmo.

"Huh?" asked Amanda, turning towards the genie for answers.

Shaking his head, he stated, "Don't worry about it, kid. That's just a problem for fairies have if they don't grant wishes regularly. Genies don't have that problem."

He resisted the urge to add a comment about how that was just one of the signs that genies were better than fairies. He was rather proud of his restraint in that case.

"Two and a half months? You waited two and a half months to make your first wish?" Turner asked skeptically.

"Hard to imagine someone with that kind of self-control?" commented Norm. "After all, I expect you make about a dozen wishes every day at a minimum. And to be honest, I was a little surprised myself. Most of humanity is too greedy to even consider waiting for three rule-free wishes."

"I just didn't need anything," Amanda mumbled, her eyes dropping to the ground briefly before flickering back towards the genie.

Wanda stared at him curiously for a moment before asking, "So what did you do with all that free time?"

He shrugged, "I did a little sightseeing, visited a few _very_ attractive ladies I know, had a little 'fun' in Canada, and simply enjoyed not being stuck inside a lava lamp for a few more decades. The usual."

"And he played chess with me," the brunette girl added helpfully.

Trying to ignore the fact that any shred of his old reputation that he might have still possessed would soon be gone if he continued to stay with Amanda (and he fully intended to stay), Norm continued, "I did manage to 'borrow' your file from Fairy World at one point. It was very interesting. Tell me, how did that whole 'Secret Wish' thing work out for you?"

Turner managed to look rather uncomfortable with that topic, which was exactly what the genie was hoping for. Even if he was going to restrain himself from directly attacking the boy in front of Amanda, verbally or magically, that didn't mean he was going to let Captain Overbite forget that he didn't like the brat. Since Turner didn't have a problem yesterday tossing all of Norm's past actions into his face and showing them off to the girl, the genie certainly wasn't above returning the favor in a calmer fashion.

"I didn't do it because I wanted access to magic forever or anything like that. I wasn't even trying to cause problems for everybody," he mumbled. "I just wanted to stay with Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof for as long as possible."

Well, that wasn't exactly what Norm was expecting to hear. He was really beginning to think he should have read that file a lot closer. First he missed out on the detail about Poof. Now it looked like he should have figured out what exactly the secret wish _was_ before commenting on it. Apparently it had something to do with keeping the wand-wavers around, so it would likely be something Amanda would approve of in theory. Of course, neither he nor the girl knew the details of the boy's wish, so it might actually have turned out to be a disaster. So he could either poke around further in the hopes that he could use this as ammunition against Turner in the future and risk looking like a jerk in front of the girl if it turned out to be something benign or he could drop the subject for now and "borrow" the file back later.

He decided that it would be easier to look for a new topic of interest.

"All right, Count Buckula, I have to ask," Norm stated. "What happened with the Darkness and that whole prophecy gig?"

"What?" asked Amanda, confused.

"The Darkness. Big black something that goes around eating worlds that fairies apparently kicked out of the solar system way back when," the genie explained. "I missed out on most of this due to being trapped at the time, but I picked up the cliff-notes version of events later on. They wrote up some kind of mysterious prophecy about a hero they wanted to show up and finish the job someday. And, somehow, it ended up being Turner."

"Actually, it was supposed to be Turbo Thunder. But he was late, so Timmy did it instead," Cosmo remarked.

"And it wasn't so much I beat it as I realized what was really going on," the boy stated. "Everyone attacked the Darkness first just because it looked scary. It only returned fire after someone else made the first strike. If the fairies, the Yugopotamians, or anyone just gave it a chance, we could have avoided a lot of problems. So when I figured out it just needed someone to be nice instead of just blasting it with more and more weapons, I created a giant smile of light and goodness to give it instead."

"That's when the Darkness turned into the Yellowness," added the green-haired fairy.

"Though everyone else was calling it the Kindness," his wife muttered.

Norm blinked, "So fairies messed things up from the start by judging by appearances?"

"Yeah," the pink-hatted boy nodded. "I kind of yelled at Jorgen and Turbo for being so stupid and automatically assuming the worst just because the Darkness _looked_ scary. I mean, that's just wrong. How could all those ancient fairies have acted like that? Aren't they supposed to be the good guys? The ones who aren't trying to take over the world, destroy it with bad luck, or bore us to death with bureaucracy? You'd think they'd check their facts a little first. None of them looked happy when they realized how everything was their fault for assuming the worst and that they essentially wouldn't have needed me to save the day if they didn't mess up when they first met the Darkness."

He actually laughed at that remark, "Man, I wish I could have seen their faces when you, their 'Chosen One,' started chewing them out for being idiots. Kind of ruins their 'we are just so perfect and wonderful and light-years better than any other species' image, don't you think? I might not like you, Turner, but anyone who can successfully make those in charge of the wand-wavers squirm can't be all bad." He paused a moment before adding, "But here's just a piece of advice for the future. Next time you tell someone about stopping the Darkness from destroying the world or something, try to describe it as something more impressive than simply using 'a giant smile of light and goodness.' If you're going to tell a story, make it good."

"Does that mean you two are getting along now?" asked Amanda hesitantly.

"No," answered Norm and Turner in unison, prompting them to glance at each other suspiciously.

Trying to clarify, the genie floated closer to the girl and continued, "As I said, I really don't like the boy. He's been nothing but a pain in the neck since he found my lamp at a garage sale. Just because he's got a _few_ good points doesn't change the fact I would be perfectly happy watching a group of villagers sacrifice him to a volcano."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future," the boy muttered under his breath.

"Hey, you earned it," argued Norm. "Remember Mars? _I_ do."

"Come on," he rolled his eyes. "You started it."

"Yeah, but what I did wasn't that bad. Especially if you compare it to most second wishes."

"But you shouldn't have been that surprised by my third wish then," Turner stated, both of them managing to keep their argument at least a little more controlled than the day before. "How did you get out of that situation anyway? Next time I saw you, Chester had the lava lamp."

"You might have a little experience with wishing and everything, but I can still turn a wish to my advantage. You weren't quite specific enough to keep me from using it to get out of there quickly."

"Poof poof poof?" asked the fairy infant, floating closer to Amanda.

She blinked at him in confusion before shrugging, "I don't know what they're talking about. Is that what you're asking, Poof?"

"Okay, what did I miss that you were able to use?" the pink-hatted boy asked.

"Not all deserts are empty, genius. Ever heard of a place called Las Vegas? A new idiot picked up my lamp an hour later."

A shrill whistle broke through the pair's argument. Norm and Turner shifted their attention to the source of the noise. Cosmo apparently turned himself into a green gym whistle and his wife was using it to interrupt the fight. Once it was clear that the genie and boy were no longer going to continue that line of discussion, the green-haired fairy _poofed_ back to normal.

"How about we answer my question," suggested Wanda, staring at Norm and Turner firmly. "Now, we agreed to this meeting in the first place because Amanda wanted to work things out. It was her idea in the first place, but you both decided to go along with it. And apparently you aren't going to get along for more than five minutes without arguing, so we need to figure out what exactly you want to accomplish here. Because I have a feeling most of us aren't going to end up best friends."

"You can say that again," muttered Norm, glancing at the fairies and Turner meaningfully.

"So what exactly does everyone want?" she continued.

"Well, I want to drop Turner off on a nice remote planet with no hope of ever making it home," the genie stated with a grin. When Amanda looked at him, he gave a shrug and added, "But that's not going to happen apparently."

"And I want to dump Norm and his stupid lava lamp into a volcano so he won't come back and ruin my life for awhile," the boy added, not noticing the genie shoving his sunglasses further up his face to conceal his expression. "Of course, that's not going to work out either."

"Yeah, you're definitely not getting that wish," muttered Norm quietly. "Maybe Da Rules aren't all bad."

Apparently not hearing the genie's words, Turner continued, "So how about this idea. We pretend the other one doesn't exist. I ignore Norm living in Dimmsdale again. He ignores me and my fairies. Everybody tries to stay out of each other's way and we try _not_ to destroy the town with magic. Amanda continues to come to my house to play videogames and Timmyball while Norm does whatever it is genies do when they aren't in the middle of an evil scheme. I don't try to ruin things for the genie, he doesn't try to destroy me."

"And we all live happily ever after," Cosmo declared.

"Exactly," the pink-hatted boy nodded.

Smiling slightly, Amanda said, "I think I like that idea. I'd still get to be friends with everyone. I mean, if you don't mind…"

"Kid, it's fine," Norm stated.

Turner gave the genie a sharp look, "And if you do anything to hurt her like you tried to do to me, Chester, or anyone else in the past, I'll make you regret it."

Pulling his shades down far enough to peer over the top of them, Norm responded with a falsely-sweet grin, "And if you do _anything_ to the kid, I'll make you wish that Crocker listened to me about my 'send him to Mars' suggestions since what I'll come up with will be far worse." Shifting his expression slightly to a smirk, he added, "After all, I've had plenty of time to consider a number of entertaining possibilities."

With the mandatory threats exchanged, the genie knew the meeting would be drawing to a close. In all honesty, it didn't go as badly as he imagined. No one was dead or trapped in an inescapable prison. Granted, Turner was still unharmed, but it wasn't a total loss. And even with the truce in place to ignore each other as much as possible, he could probably figure out some way around it for a _little_ revenge in his spare time.

"One last question, Norm," the bucked-tooth boy stated. "Why do you care what happens to Amanda? Why did you agree to come here and try and come up with a truce? What exactly do you get out of this?"

Turner's tone wasn't as accusatory or suspicious as it was the day before. He sounded like he simply wanted an answer. But it was definitely not something that the genie felt like discussing with anyone, let alone one of his enemies. It was hard enough admitting things to himself and Amanda. Captain Overbite definitely wasn't getting that answer.

Before anyone could react, Norm snapped his fingers and _gonged_ himself and Amanda out of there.

* * *

"Did you really believe he was going to tell you that, Sport?" asked Wanda as the teal cloud of smoke dissipated.

"It couldn't hurt to ask," Timmy answered, shrugging slightly. "I mean, it's just too strange. I have a hard time believing what I saw yesterday. But while I definitely don't trust Norm as far as I can throw him and he'll probably try to figure a way around our truce eventually, I think you might be right about him and Amanda. I think he might actually like her a little. He stayed around her for months and never apparently caused her any reason to distrust him until we spilled the beans yesterday. And he plays chess with her. What kind of evil scheme involves playing chess with a girl?"

"The kind where you use a giant chess board and squash people with the pieces?" suggested Cosmo helpfully.

"I don't like him, I don't trust him, but I do like and trust Amanda," he continued. "And I think he'll go along with the truce as long as it makes her happy."

"I think so too," his godmother agreed. "He really cares about her."

"Poof poof," commented the floating infant.

Timmy smiled, "I'm glad you like her too, Poof. And it will be fun to have someone else to talk to about magic and everything. Just imagine what we could do since we won't have to figure out an excuse for stuff you guys make."

"You don't figure out excuses, though," pointed out Cosmo. "You always say it came from the internet."

"Because it usually works," the boy countered. Pausing a moment, he frowned, "Though I do have to wonder about one thing. If Norm has been out of his lamp since September, what could he have been doing all that time? And did he do anything to us?"

"Apparently nothing major or we would have noticed," pointed out Wanda reasonably. "We aren't _that_ oblivious."

Cosmo raised his hand excitedly, "I am. I am."

" _Most_ of us aren't that oblivious," she corrected.

* * *

December was his busiest month of the year, for obvious reasons. Reading letters, checking the lists twice, and preparing gifts for children on the entire planet was hard work, even with the assistance of the elves to do the manual labor. And as the day drew nearer, things only became more hectic. By the time December 24th rolled around, it was probably a good thing that all the fairies loaned him almost all of their magic or he would never be able to do everything necessary. Being Santa wasn't easy, after all. Although it tended to be a little easier when people like Timmy Turner weren't either making everyday Christmas or trying to replace his holiday with a new one accidentally.

Timmy Turner was a rather interesting child to observe when it came to determining which list to place him on. He tended to fluctuate between naughty and nice regularly due to how strongly he seemed to affect the world with his wishes. Almost ruining Christmas, _twice_ , wasn't particularly nice. Nor was freezing everyone's age for fifty year, separating men from women on Valentine's Day and nearly causing a war of the genders, and almost destroying Da Rules. On the other hand, he tended to have a good heart in the end and would occasionally make a wish that benefited someone else more than himself. Thus, he usually ended up on the nice list by the time the sleigh took off.

Pulling out the next letter, Santa drew his attention away his contemplation of Timmy Turner and focused on his job. This letter was from a girl named Amanda Adams, someone he'd not received a letter from in quite some time. She'd apparently moved to a new town, judging by the return address. He laughed briefly when he realized that she was now living in Dimmsdale, which was practically the epicenter of anything magical and strange. Life there should prove interesting for her.

The letter itself was very short and he couldn't help smiling at her request. He already could tell that she would be having a better Christmas than those in the past if the gift she asked for was any indication. And she would definitely get her wish. After all, she was certainly worthy of being on the nice list.


	21. Approaching the Holiday

Timmy decided, quite firmly, that he absolutely loved having someone to share the secret of his fairies with. He'd encountered other godchildren a few times, such as Remy Buxaplenty and his fellow companions at Wishing Well. Unfortunately, Remy was too jealous and vindictive towards other kids with fairies and the challenges from Jorgen prevented him from enjoying his time with Molly and Dwight. And while Jimmy Neutron and his friends from the more bulgy dimension might accept Cosmo and Wanda's capabilities as "science," thus allowing them to enjoy his wishes too, Timmy knew it just wasn't the same as being able to share the truth without fears.

But Amanda offered so many possibilities. He didn't have to keep the magic subtle or worry about her noticing his habit of talking to "inanimate" objects. He didn't even have to bring out his traditional excuse of "internet" even once. If he wanted cookies to start raining down from the ceiling of his bedroom, all he needed to say was that she could help herself.

The days after The Meeting (capital letters not optional), the pink-hatted boy took full advantage of his companion's relative inexperience with the full potential of wishing. He took her to amusement parks across the country, to movie theaters in the past so she could see films she missed out on, and to the moon to show off some zero-gravity skateboarding tricks. Yes, he could do something far more impressive with her like traveling back in time to see dinosaurs or introducing her to the action-packed world of the Crimson Chin, but he doubted that it was smart to simply toss Amanda into the deep-end of extreme wishes. She was simply too unused to that level of excitement and Timmy really didn't want to find out how Norm would react if she came home scared after an afternoon of wishing.

Pretending the genie didn't exist and wasn't living across town was a little unnerving for the boy. He already had enough enemies living in the area and at least Vicky and Crocker didn't have magic on their side. But Norm remained out of Timmy's sight and the pink-hatted child started to believe that the unsteady truce might hold. The only evidence that the genie was even still around was Amanda's comments and Vicky spontaneously going bald after another double babysitting job watching both children. Over the next couple of weeks, it became clear that as long as he didn't do anything bad to the girl, Timmy wouldn't even see the genie. Norm would keep the deal, if only because Amanda wanted it.

And, as strange as it was to imagine, Timmy felt that Norm was actually better for the girl than her actual parents. His first impression of them hadn't improved with time. There was something wrong with the world when he could see more concern and care for the girl from an _evil_ genie than her own family. He couldn't even imagine what holidays would be like growing up.

So, after discussing it with both his fairies and his parents, Timmy decided to invite Amanda to join his family for Christmas. He highly doubted the girl's real family would make the holiday very enjoyable and it would be fun to have her. Wanda loved the idea, his godmother having already accepted the child into their close-knit family to an extent that Timmy would have been jealous of it he'd not already realized Amanda was in desperate need of maternal affection and yet would never seek it. Cosmo and Poof were simply excited about having her around to play with that day. His mom and dad, while mildly surprised that he wanted to invite someone to spend the holiday with them, agreed to his idea with only a little convincing. All that was left was to ask Amanda herself. Timmy was even beginning to grow hopeful that this Christmas might even be a peaceful one without a major disaster to fix.

* * *

Amanda stared at the boy. She'd thought that she was beyond being shocked by Timmy's actions. He was such a nice boy, allowing her to be involved in his magical adventures and even inviting her to more mundane activities. The entire situation felt similar, yet different to her games of chess and stories with Norm. She liked having people enjoy her company and feeling like she belonged with them. But even after she'd grown to accept the fact that at least a few people were truly her friends and that they felt she wasn't even close to a waste of time, Amanda couldn't believe how far their approval went.

"You're inviting _me_?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he nodded, shifting in his bus seat slightly. "It'll be fun. Mom and Dad will be home instead of being gone. We can play with the presents. They'll sit down and watch the Christmas specials on television with us while Dad obsesses over eggnog. We can laugh about all the coal Vicky will probably get. Maybe we can have a snowball fight if we get bored. Honestly, you'll love it."

Cosmo, disguised as a green pencil, added helpfully, "As long as Timmy doesn't almost ruin the holiday again."

"That's not very nice," his pen-disguised wife scolded.

"But completely true," he chirped back cheerfully. "Remember? First he made everyday Christmas. They had to invent a new rule for that one. Then, he almost replaced the holiday with…"

"I know, I know," interrupted Timmy. "But I'm being careful this time. No big wishes either immediately before or after Christmas."

"What about _on_ Christmas?" Amanda asked, growing curious by the conversation.

"That won't work," the boy responded. "Turns out fairies loan Santa most of their magic on Christmas since he needs all the power for providing gifts for all those kids in one night. Other than just enough magic for disguises, they've got nothing. I learned that the hard way our first Christmas together."

"He wished everyday could be Christmas," sang Cosmo before Wanda waved her tiny wand and a gag appeared on her husband's mouth with a small _poof_.

"I'm pretty sure pencils aren't supposed to sing," she remarked.

"Poof poof poof," the purple eraser added.

Timmy smiled briefly at his disguised god-brother before turning back towards Amanda, "But I honestly think you'll have a good time. What do you think?"

The girl bit her bottom lip briefly and her eyes darted to the floor of the bus before returning to the bucked-tooth boy. What he was describing sounded so nice. It reminded her of how the holidays would be with Grandma. Cookies, a decorated tree, gifts, family, colors and lights, a sense of belonging, and love. She missed it. Her parents didn't do anything special for Christmas, so it would be wonderful to experience it regardless. It wouldn't be her family, but it was still a real family experience. She wanted that and somehow she was beginning to believe she might even deserve it. But there was someone else to consider.

"What about him?" asked Amanda, patting her backpack so that there was no question about who she meant.

Timmy frowned, "I know he's your friend, but I'm not inviting the genie to meet my parents. They might be oblivious, but even they might notice the guy without legs floating around and insulting them."

"I know, but I wanted to spend part of the day with him too," she mumbled.

The small group fell silent, leaving the surrounding noise of the other students on the bus to fill in that absence of conversation. No one had to say a word to know what they were thinking. The truce was only working because Norm was keeping out of sight of Timmy and his fairies. And vice versa. Having them in the same place at the same time might be too great of a temptation, even on the holiday. Amanda _might_ be able to keep the peace, but it would still be tense.

"You don't have to spend all day at Timmy's house," pointed out Wanda reasonably. "You could stay at home during the morning and come over later."

"Yeah, that'll give me time to open my presents first," the boy agreed. "That would work out great."

While she gave a brief smile at the solution, Amanda also realized she'd forgotten something important. She needed to get gifts for everyone. That wasn't usually a problem. Mom and Dad never seemed to expect or wanted anything from her, even on holidays, their birthdays, or anniversary. Though she should probably at least get them something for Christmas since she planned to get her friends presents. Her lack of money might make it difficult, but the girl intended to find a way.

"What do you think?" Timmy prompted. "Do you want to come?"

Amanda hesitated just a moment before stating, "I'll talk about it with Norm first, but I think it'll be nice. Thank you."

* * *

Ms. Keys watched her students cut construction paper and glue glitter with varying levels of focus. It was too close to the holiday for any of them to pay attention to their lessons and their grades for their most recent test were improved, so she'd decided to let them work on arts and crafts projects instead that afternoon. Most seemed to be working on Christmas cards, though Mike apparently wanted to build the Eiffel Tower out of popsicle sticks. It at least kept her students occupied.

Moving around the room, her attention was gradually drawn to Amanda's desk. The shy, quiet child was usually so easy to overlook, but today her multiple projects were enough to hold the woman's gaze. Popsicle sticks, glitter, clay, and yarn were scattered around as she worked on the small objects. Each one was obviously made with great care.

"What are you working on?" the teacher asked, causing the student to nearly jump in surprise.

Her eyes never rising from the glue and glitter in her hands, Amanda mumbled, "Making presents."

"That's nice," she stated gently. "How many more presents do you need to make?"

"I made a couple of cards for Chester and AJ," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And one for Tootie since I think she needs one too. But I still need about six more gifts and I don't think cards are going to be enough for them."

Ms. Keys had seen other students take advantage of art projects to create gifts in the past, but never for quite as many at once. But she could see that her student intended to reach her goal regardless. Perhaps the child could use a little help with that.

"You know, I have a few projects I generally save for later in the year," Ms. Keys remarked quietly. "I even have the instructions printed out and the materials in my supply cabinet. If you need some ideas on gifts, maybe you could try some of them."

Amanda actually looked up this time, meeting the woman's eyes before dropping back to her desk. The girl nodded quickly. As soon as she received her student's agreement, Ms. Keys headed towards her supply cabinet and began pulling out the various instructions and more specialized arts supplies. None of her other students glanced at her. They were probably too distracted by their own projects and were simply hoping she wasn't going to provide more work for them.

* * *

Trixie stared at family's Christmas tree. It was certainly larger and more beautifully decorated than any other evergreen in the town. That was one of the advantages of having money, after all. Wrapped gifts were stacked around the base, each one labeled and waiting. Most were expensive and impressive, no doubt. She received them from her various admirers, just like she would on her birthday. Yes, some would go to her father from his friends, colleagues, and more distant relatives, but she was the proud recipient of most of them.

She was a materialistic girl. It was practically an essential component of being a popular kid. She needed to always have the best of everything. New gifts helped provide her required accessories, clothes, and belongings. The presents also helped to demonstrate her popularity and importance. They were physical representation of her self-worth. The items helped assign a value to herself that could be calculated and understood. There was a dollar amount to how much others liked her. She did find it remarkable that it seemed like those with less money to spend on her gifts tended to be more clever in picking something specific that she would appreciate (though she didn't know for certain about those at the lowest end of social hierarchy since those gifts were never unwrapped). Tad and Chad would select expensive items she didn't particularly like beyond their connotation of wealth while less popular ones would pick shoes or make-up that looked nice on her. Then there was the time Timmy tried to offer an honest friendship to her…

Trixie picked up one of the smaller presents under the tree and smiled slightly to herself. In the past, the name on the box would have been enough to doom the gift to the fireplace. Now, she looked forward to opening the package when Christmas morning came around. Sanjay's gift wouldn't be expensive or impressive, but she already knew it would undoubtedly be far more appealing to who she was underneath the shell of popularity she maintained so carefully. She was already receiving comics from him, carefully smuggled to her house under the guise of tutoring sessions. The shape was wrong for it to simply be another issue of Skull Squisher, but she looked forward to the present regardless.

She'd also selected a small token for him as well. She could have afforded something far more extravagant, but it would look odd enough already for her to get something for her tutor if someone was to find out without her going overboard in the process. But to make up for the price, she'd selected something more… personal. She bought him a photo album with the letter "S" printed across the front. She'd even tossed in a few photographs of everyone at the Snow Ball. Somehow, she could already imagine him filling the pages up with images of his friends having fun and relaxing. And maybe he'd even want to put her picture in it. That might be nice; to be included because he liked _her_ rather than because he liked the popular girl.

* * *

Norm couldn't believe he'd ever see the day, but he was actually beginning to slightly pity the Canadians. Earthquakes shook and split the land, leaving behind jagged crevices that cut off the frightened population from any route of escape. Volcanoes burst up and spewed molten rock onto the surroundings while rivers burst their banks to sweep across inhabited areas. Clouds of locusts blackened the sky only to be interrupted by bolts of lightning tearing through the air. Fire roared as it consumed forests and hissed as it met oncoming glaciers ripping the troubled landscape at an astonishing speed. Tornados swarmed the ground, pulling up other vengeful elements and hurling them even farther along the troubled countryside. Moose ran through the streets like a plague, knocking over small vehicles and crashing through windows that got in their way. And every hockey player within the borders lost the ability to skate in a straight line without falling.

Needless to say, the genie was in a bad mood.

He felt that he hid it well when Amanda gave him the news, all things considered. She'd returned home from school, walked past her parents who apparently didn't even acknowledge her arrival, and went to her room where Norm was already waiting with a pizza for the kid. He knew she was planning to visit Turner later that evening, so he intended to at least spend dinner with her. The girl slipped a rather curious bag under her bed before accepting the offered plate, but she'd shared her news before the genie could ask about it. He then spent the rest of the meal trying to hide his reaction and act casual until Amanda left for the bucked-tooth boy's house. It took all of his self-control to go after Canada rather than the boy.

Turner invited Amanda over for Christmas. How dare that pink-hatted, Smoof-for-brains, pain-in-the-neck, manipulative, annoying jerk do that? It wasn't as if Norm was particularly excited about the holiday. It wasn't that remarkable or entertaining after living through thousands of them, mostly alone in his lava lamp. He wasn't looking forward to this one. Not at all. He was upset about what the boy was doing. Turner was trying to pull the kid over to his side.

It was subtle. Oh yes, the brat could apparently be more conniving than Norm gave him credit for. Turner was trying to spend more and more time with the girl, impressing her with all his extravagant wishing and probably trying to make himself look perfect. And now he was trying to make Amanda like him more by making her feel like family on Christmas, something she'd obviously not really experienced in years. Turner was trying to steal her away and force the genie to the side. The boy was trying to replace and get rid of him.

Norm wasn't jealous. The genie refused to even consider the possibility that he could be envious of that boy's role in Amanda's life. He wasn't jealous that Count Buck-ula was apparently trying to replace him completely as the girl's closest friend. That stupid tangle of emotions didn't include a burning knot of envy and it definitely didn't include a thin thread of fear that stealing away the one human he liked might actually work. No, that wasn't it at all. He was mad. That was it. Anger. He could accept anger. He could work with it.

He was mad that Turner was trying to find a loophole in their truce. Granted, the genie intended to do something similar, but he wasn't doing it yet and definitely not in this manner. The boy wasn't attacking the genie, but he was trying to break things apart by influencing the girl and monopolizing her time. The brat was trying to shove Norm out of the picture by other means. Well, two could play at that game. Being underhanded was something the genie was a master of.

Fury bubbling again, Norm sent another wave of aggressive magic pouring down to the ground with a snap of his fingers and a loud _gong_. A rather large and carnivorous plant burst out of the ground and sent a rather terrified-looking Canadian scrambling back. The poor man ended up crashing right into the store filled with mirrors, shattering them.

Smirking slightly at the individual's misfortune, the genie was startled when he heard a soft _foop_ and the floor collapsed beneath the man so that he dropped into the basement. A quick glance in the direction of the sound revealed a dark-blue figure giggling in the corner of the mirror store. Even floating above the destroyed countryside, Norm could detect magic from the odd creature. Not genie magic. It wasn't even fairy magic. He'd describe it as a dark reflection of fairy magic. That and the fact it appeared after a mirror broke quickly identified the species he was dealing with as an anti-fairy. A closer look demonstrated another intriguing detail of the magical creature. She wasn't particularly pretty, but he still knew her face. Sort of.

Curiosity won out and he floated closer to her.

"You certainly look familiar," he remarked, capturing the attention of the blue-skinned individual. "What's a curly-haired lady like you doing here?"

"Well, howdy there," she greeted, waving at him. "Ain't you a handsome sort? I better warn you. I'm married."

"Let me guess," the genie said, giving her one of his most charming smiles out of habit rather than any actual attraction. "You would be Anti-Wanda? And your husband would be Anti-Cosmo?"

The crooked-tooth, bat-winged anti-fairy giggled, "You're so smart. And destructive. I like you. How'd you figure out who I am?"

"I've met you and your husband's counterparts. They and their godchild have been pests for quite some time."

"You don't like Timmy either? That's great," she smiled, producing a sandwich with a quick _foop_ and began to eat the thing using her feet. "My Anti-Cosmo and a bunch of grey folk are planning on some kind of revenge scheme against him. I don't really get it or anything, but they say it should work and make him suffer for all the trouble he's been causing us."

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "A revenge scheme against Turner? You have my interest. Is this a good plan or one of those overly-complicated ones that is almost certainly doomed to fail?"

"Well, my Anti-Cosmo is really, really smart and that funny pointy-headed fellow seemed like he knew what he was talking about."

Smiling evilly to himself as chaos continued around them, Norm asked, "Any chance I can come watch the main attraction? Turner suffering is always entertaining, even if I can't be the one arranging it."

"I don't know," frowned Anti-Wanda. "I don't think my husband would be too happy about me bringing along someone else whenever we put that plan into play. And he's the one in charge, even if that pointy-headed person thinks that he's also in charge. It gets complicated when lots of folks work together, but my Anti-Cosmo is good at figuring that sort of thing out."

"Hey, I'm not saying you have to start selling ringside tickets to all of the kid's enemies," he grinned, spreading his arms innocently. "Just see if you can sneak me backstage for the show and let me watch him whimper and cringe while you do whatever you have in mind."

The anti-fairy seemed to be considering his request as she took another bite of her sandwich. The act of thought wasn't apparently an easy task for her and he spent several moments waiting with only the screams and sounds of destruction in the background to occupy him. Norm didn't consider conspiring with Turner's enemies to be technically breaking the truce as they'd stated it. He agreed not to attack the boy and he wasn't. The Anti-fairies were. All he was doing was not warning the brat and watching the show instead.

"I'll ask my husband about that, I guess," she stated slowly. "But you got to promise that you aren't trying to trick us or something sneaky like that. I mean, you really do hate the boy, right?"

"Fine. I promise you that I would love to watch Turner suffer horribly and be miserable," replied Norm. "I also promised that I've dreamed of seeing him sacrificed to a volcano, lose his fairies and memories forever, have him teleported to Mars, and numerous other cruel and unusual fates. And I promise that, as long as your plan will not cause problems to me even indirectly, I won't interfere in your revenge scheme against Turner. Satisfied?"

Anti-Wanda nodded quickly, "Yep. Works for me. Of course, Anti-Cosmo and the pointy-headed fellow might want you to sign one of those contract things saying that stuff too. Those grey people sure do love those contract things."

The idea of a contract made the genie pause momentarily, but he eventually gave her a short nod. He wasn't being forced to sign because it was a wish and he could read fine print almost as well as a lawyer. If he didn't like the terms they presented, he could always leave without writing his name on the dotted line. There were always other ways he could watch Captain Overbite suffer.

 _Gonging_ up a small business card, Norm handed it over to her and she accepted it with her foot. He resisted the urge to wipe off his hand afterwards.

"Just call me whenever you are ready to put that plan of yours into action," he instructed. "I mostly use the number to order takeout, but my coverage should allow me to receive calls from Anti-Fairy World if necessary."

"Sure thing," she smiled before vanishing with a _foop_.

Turning his attention back towards the country that used to be Canada before he took out all his frustration on it, Norm realized that he'd actually calmed down enough during the conversation to be able to think clearly again. He was probably giving Turner way too much credit if he thought that there was some elaborate plan to force the genie out of the picture. He could be clever, but he wasn't a long-term planner. The boy's wishes were evidence of that. And Norm already knew that the bucked-tooth kid, for all his faults, did care about Amanda's happiness. Hence why the truce even existed in the first place.

Taking a deep breath, the genie forced himself to admit that Turner wasn't trying to ruin things. He was just trying to make the girl's Christmas special. The boy wanted her to be happy, just like Norm did. The genie didn't like sharing Amanda's attention; she used to be completely his unique and intriguing child that no one else seemed to notice. And even when she first started making friends in Dimmsdale, she was still mostly his. She talked to him about everything and she turned to him for advice. Now, she had Turner and his plague of wand-wavers trying to fill in the voids that her lonely past and useless parents left behind. And her slowly growing confidence was helping her learn to stand on her own two feet a little bit. It wasn't a quick process, but he could still see it. Turner didn't have to be making conscious choice to force Norm to the side; Amanda simply had more people in her life now than before.

There were essentially two basic options for him, though he could certainly devise variations of those choices if necessary. He could try to reclaim his more exclusive role as her sole confidant by shoving everyone else out of her life. He was still capable of subtle manipulation if he needed it and she'd been willing to sacrifice companionship in the past. Or he could adjust to the changes, that she would now be spending even more time with Turner since the boy enjoyed having someone to relate to and would continue to seek her out, and the genie would still have her sole attention at least part of the time.

Or, suggested a particularly rebellious voice in the back of his head, he could learn to be around Turner without fighting the urge to ridicule and/or smite him into a greasy smear on the ground.

Norm immediately silenced that particular thought and focused on the two more logical options. He wanted Amanda to be happy. Above all else, he would ensure that she came out of this with a smile. As much as he hated it, the genie knew that he really didn't have much of a choice if her feelings were the main deciding factor. Besides, he'd already turned down his freedom because he wanted his impossibly-sweet and innocent master more. Surely putting up with Turner's existence in her life and his increased time in the girl's presence wasn't any harder than that?

Resisting the urge to shudder, Norm briefly considered the notion that perhaps his dislike of the bucked-tooth boy might actually rival the genie's desire for freedom. He tried to cheer himself up by reminding himself that he would at least have Amanda for Christmas morning and he could at least make that memorable for the girl. Plus, there could be an opportunity to watch Turner suffer in the near future. That could always boost his spirits.

Feeling a more in control than when he arrived at the country, Norm prepared to head back to Dimmsdale. As he started to snap, a loud crash broke through his thoughts and reminded him of the chaos his little "temper-tantrum" caused to everyone north of the border. While he was strongly tempted to leave Canada in its current condition, especially since some of it was rather entertaining, something tugged at his mind and made him feel uneasy about leaving yet. He just couldn't bring himself to go. The genie kept imagining Amanda's face with a look of pure disappointment at his actions.

Groaning quietly to himself in frustration, Norm snapped his fingers. A _gong_ rang out and all of the chaotic elemental forces died down. Everything he'd done to the country reversed and repaired itself, leaving behind only a confused memory in the minds of the Canadians and one man stuck in a basement of a mirror store with no recollection of how he'd arrived down there. Satisfied that the damage was fixed, the genie snapped again and vanished with a _gong_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Norm might have a truce with Timmy and vice versa, but neither one is exactly happy about it. And the genie is really not enjoying having Amanda's time monopolized by the boy and his fairies. Timmy loves it because he finally has someone to hang out with and take on adventures with his godparents (but only mild adventures since she's new to them). Still, even if the genie disagrees, Norm is kind of jealous and angry about the boy hogging all that time with her. The two of them sort of have this weird custody battle tug-a-war going on from the genie's perspective while Timmy is just trying his best to pretend that Norm isn't around. Meanwhile, the anti-fairies and pixies are busy with their own plans. And now a certain genie has a slight idea that they are up to something, but he doesn't know what. But since he still despises Timmy, he isn't really in that much of a rush to warn anyone.


	22. Twas The Night Before Christmas

When his dear wife brought word of yet another of young Timothy's enemies being interested in seeing his upcoming fate, Anti-Cosmo didn't know whether to be upset with her for so easily sharing their plan with a stranger or intrigued by the possibility of another ally. A genie, according to Anti-Wanda. While he might have claimed to only be interested in observing the event, it still offered up opportunities. As long as they took precautions to ensure that their guest didn't feel the need to betray them, having someone unbound by rules could be helpful. Of course, there was still the issue of whoever turned out to be the genie's master to deal with, but it could be handled if necessary.

The anti-fairy grinned to himself before taking a sip of tea. Yes, this could turn out nicely. He would just have to draw up a contract first, just in case. Or rather, he would have the Head Pixie draw it up and he would examine it before the signature was in place. It only made sense to let the expert in bureaucracy handle that detail, just like it only made sense to double-check the terms to ensure HP didn't try to sneak in a way to gain advantage over the anti-fairies. It was all a matter of maneuvering and preparing things properly, like a large game of chess. Even his allies needed to be handled carefully in case they became a liability or a threat. But Anti-Cosmo knew he could do it.

In less than twenty-four hours, Timothy Turner would no longer be a problem. Not even in the slightest.

* * *

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring or showing a hint of holiday cheer. Norm figured that Amanda's parents would be up to the eyeballs in coal if they bothered to celebrate Christmas. The genie half considered _gonging_ up a bunch of it all over their white and clean house. It wasn't like they didn't deserve a mountain of coal, but he didn't want the little girl to get blamed. At the moment, they were gone to an office part and out of the way. Thus, he couldn't make them pay for the behavior.

He could, however, fix the problem of the lack of holiday cheer. Christmas might not be a major event for him in the past, but Norm intended to do his best to make it memorable for the brown-haired girl perched on the edge of her bed. He might not have her Christmas morning, but he was going to do this part right.

"All right, kid," he smirked. "The first thing you need is a tree."

Snapping his fingers, a small evergreen appeared with a _gong_ in the corner of her empty room. Another snap and _gong_ later, colorful lights wrapped around it and a box of random ornaments appeared beside it. He figured she'd like decorating it herself and the slight smile on her face suggested the genie was right. Continuing with his efforts to make the child's room more festive, he _gonged_ up some red garland along the walls and a stocking appeared at the foot of her bed. Some holly was added near the ceiling in the corners.

Nodding to himself with satisfaction, Norm commented, "I'm not doing all the work here, kid. I got the tree. You get to help make it look decent. You don't want Santa showing up to see a pathetic excuse of a decorating job, right? I'm sure you'll be able to do a nice job with it."

Hopping off the bed, Amanda scurried over and selected a small, blue, glass orb. Showing far more excitement and enthusiasm than he'd ever imagine seeing when he first met the shy child, she began hanging the object. Christmas seemed to be good for her.

"Want to help, Norm?" she asked, offering him an ornament.

"Sure," he grinned at her. "If you think you need help making the tree look nice, I'll offer you my vast talents."

He gave her a mocking bow, making her giggle slightly, before snapping his fingers. A clump of silvery tinsel appeared in his hand with a _gong_. The genie started draping it across the evergreen, making the tree sparkle. Feeling mischievous, he then _gonged_ up another clump that landed on Amanda's head.

"Don't you look festive now," Norm smirked as she grabbed the tinsel off and placed it on the tree.

"That's not funny," stated the girl, the grin fighting for control of her face disagreeing with her words.

Tossing a few more ornaments in place, the genie argued, "That's a matter of opinion."

Another snap of the fingers and more tinsel materialized on the child's hair with a _gong_. She pulled it off, but he was already _gonging_ up even more.

Amanda then did something that surprised Norm. She threw her handful of tinsel right at the genie. As soon as she did it, the girl looked horrified that he'd be mad at her. Instead, now covered in silvery thread-like decorations, Norm laughed.

"Not my usual fashion choice, but 'tis the season."

 _Gonging_ up his own handful of tinsel, the genie tossed it lightly at her face. Giggling and reassured that he wouldn't be mad, Amanda returned the favor. The next several minutes did not result in very much progress in regards to the tree, but it did contain flying tinsel, laughter, and the most carefree expression he'd ever seen on the girl's face. His dignity would probably suffer if it became known a child defeated him in a tinsel-throwing battle, but it was very fun regardless.

It took a little longer to finish the tree, but Norm eventually held Amanda up so she could place a star on top for the finishing touch. She couldn't seem to stop smiling and it left the genie feeling completely content. He didn't think about Turner, the agreement with Anti-Wanda, or anything else. All that mattered was he was spending the afternoon making Amanda happy. It left him far more satisfied than any of his spiteful wishes or plans.

"Okay, that part's done," he said, nodding at the tree. "And your parents have left the building. I say we head for the kitchen to see if we can make some cookies for that fat guy to stuff his face with. Plus a couple for ourselves."

Norm knew there were easier methods. He could easily have used magic to provide the cookies. It would have been simpler and faster. But once again, he based his decision on the fact it made her happy to do things the longer way. She giggled a little as they mixed together ingredients he _gonged_ up for her. Amanda mentioned happy memories of doing the same thing with her grandmother as they baked. Since the old woman was apparently the only decent person in the girl's life before the arrival of the genie (and most people would argue against calling him "decent"), Norm was happy to bring up those memories.

While they were waiting for the chocolate chip cookies to finish, Amanda tilted her head slightly at him, "Norm?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Um… I was wondering… You know how there's supposed to be lots of different Christmas songs."

He nodded, "Yep, and they seem to add a few dozen more every decade or so. That way, you won't get the tunes out of your head until June."

"I… really don't know any of them all the way through," she said carefully, looking for a moment like she wanted to drop her gaze to the ground. Amanda didn't, though. She kept looking at the genie asked, "Could you teach me one?"

"Uh…," he stalled for a moment, his brain scrambling.

One of the disadvantages of being stuck in a lava lamp for decades or centuries at a time, though it was usually a small disadvantage, was that it was very easy to miss out on some of the holiday traditions like obnoxious Christmas carols playing on a loop on every radio station. Thus, it would be perfectly logical for him to have no knowledge of the songs. Fortunately (or unfortunately), his three decades with a certain teacher before the fateful garage sale ensured that he possessed that information. Even though he tried to ignore whatever was going on outside his lamp during that time period with the exception of when "I Dream of Jeannie" was playing, the man's obsession with watching Christmas specials and playing the radio at full blast while singing along made it hard to escape without learning a few of the songs.

The only question was which one would be the least troubling to get stuck in his head for the next few months. Half of them were annoying and the other half were _very_ annoying. And somehow Christmas songs were impossible to get out of someone's head after they were stuck. It also needed to be something that she might like, but not too obnoxiously adorable that he'd gag trying to sing it. That eliminated the song about the magic snowman and the one about the freak of a reindeer from the list.

"You don't have to," Amanda quickly assured. "It was just an idea."

"Just give me a second, kid," he said. "I'm thinking."

Then the perfect song hit him. Most humans would probably call it an old one, but nearly-immortal genies tend to have a different definition of what counts as "old." And a song that was written in the 1930s was practically recent from his viewpoint.

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?" he began softly, closing his eyes. "In the lane, snow is glistening." He smiled briefly, "A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight." Leaning back as he floated in midair, he sang quietly, "Walking in a winter wonderland."

He didn't sing often. There generally wasn't much of a need for it. Granting wishes and messing with humans rarely required an appropriate musical number from him. But he could sing when he wanted to. Someday, he might describe his experiences with Fairy Idol to the girl. Not yet since the grand reveal of his past behavior wasn't quite far enough behind them that Amanda would be able to appreciate his diabolical scheme, but maybe someday. After all, even if it was part of a plan to be free from his lava lamp, it was sort of fun to perform on stage like that.

"Gone away is the blue bird," he sang, keeping his voice soft rather than using the more extravagant singing style from the competition. "Here to stay is a new bird." He didn't know what in the world this part of the song had to do with the holiday since the feathery creatures didn't seem to be a big part of it, but he followed the lyrics faithfully. "He sings a love song as we go along," he continued. "Walking in a winter wonderland."

Opening his eyes, he noticed that it was actually snowing outside by this point. Norm didn't know if it was just perfect luck or if some kid wished for a white Christmas, but it worked out great for him either way. Amanda, however, didn't seem to notice the weather. All her focus was on him as he displayed his singing talent. He wasn't using magic to enhance his capabilities. He was simply singing the song on his own. Her expression, however, was one of joy and awe at the sound.

"In the meadow, we can build a snowman," he sang carefully, watching the child's face. "Then pretend that he is Parson Brown." Smirking slightly at the next part, he continued, "He'll say 'Are you married?' We'll say 'No, man, but you can do the job when you're in town.'"

That part resulted in a giggle from the audience, causing Norm to suppress a chuckle of his own. This particular song didn't focus greatly on the holiday itself, but that didn't mean it wasn't entertaining.

"Later on, we'll conspire," he continued, giving her an amused look, "as we dream by the fire, to face unafraid the plans that we've made." Norm gave the girl a nod and she managed to sing along, "Walking in a winter wonderland."

Christmas was never a big deal to the genie in the past. He'd never cared about the holiday during his centuries trapped in his lamp. But, floating in that kitchen while singing softly to the smiling child and with the scent of baking cookies slowly filling the air, Norm was beginning to see some of the appeal of the season.

* * *

There were million of houses to visit in one night. Billions of gifts to leave and countless cookies to eat. And while some houses still possessed chimneys, others lacked the requirements for his usual method of entrance. Then there was the challenge of the vast distances required to be traveled in order to reach so many individuals. It always seemed like an impossible task, but Santa Claus had been managing it for a long time. He did his job and delivered happiness to all those children who deserved it. For a lesser individual, the names and faces of so many would begin to blend together until no one could tell them apart. He, however, could remember and recognize each child. Even when they grew up, he would know who they were and what they asked for as a gift. He knew the children who wrote to him.

So when he slipped into the house that only held decorations in the young girl's room and with a magical lava lamp on the nightstand, he knew exactly who it was. He didn't have to check the list to know what gift she'd requested. It was too unusual and unique of a request to forget, even if he didn't already know each child so well. Besides, the lava lamp would have been the prefect clue.

Smiling for a moment at the sleeping child with her arm around her teddy bear, Santa Claus took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie waiting for him. Silently, he placed candy canes and other small pieces of candy in her stocking at the foot of her bed. Then, he slid a few small packages under the tree. They were just small gifts, but something he knew she would like. Finally, he took the final object for this household out of his bag. He knew this would address the child's one request from her letter. He placed it on the tree itself, tucked out of sight. Just as he knew when someone is asleep or awake, bad or good, he knew that it would be found when necessary.

He took one last moment to glance at the lava lamp curiously, pondering about the inhabitant, before smiling at the sleeping figure.

"Merry Christmas, Amanda," he whispered before turning away, moving on to the countless other children waiting his visit.

A short time later, he entered another home. This time, the tree and stockings were in the family room rather than being tucked away out of sight. There was no reason for him to travel further into the household, but he couldn't resist. Sleeping upstairs was the brown-haired boy who practically skipped rope with the line between naughty and nice. Also in the room was the fishbowl with the trio of slumbering fairies. None of them even twitched at Santa's presence, even as he set a few candy canes next to the bowl. For once, the boy seemed to be staying out of trouble and not causing any difficulties concerning the holiday. Granted, there was still opportunties for him to make a mess of things in the next few days, but Santa Claus held out hope that Christmas might be spared that year.

But even with the possibility of trouble hanging over the sleeping child's head, he couldn't help smiling at the bucked-tooth boy who was truly a good kid underneath it all.

"Merry Christmas, Timmy," he said. Then, glancing at the smallest fish in the fishbowl, he added, "And Merry Christmas to you too, Poof."

And, taking a moment to place a small package with the youngest fairy's name on it next to the candy canes, Santa Claus vanished into the night.

* * *

Head Pixie carefully examined both the proposed plan and the various contracts they'd drawn up one last time. It was nearly time for the combined efforts of the pixies and the anti-fairy to come to fruition. He decided to give everything a final consideration since he wanted to ensure that everything went perfectly.

The plan itself seemed straightforward and foolproof, though experience had demonstrated that unexpected elements could throw it off track. After all, Timmy Turner had ruined multiple plans in the past. That was why the two groups were united to remove the boy. If they wished to succeed, the plan would have to be flawless. There could be no chance for him to slip through. Any weakness or unexpected development would give the boy the ability to escape. Any mistakes would not be tolerated.

In regards to the contracts, HP had an easier time. Drawing up contracts and examining them for loopholes was something that any pixie could do perfectly. The binding contract between the pixies and anti-fairies guaranteed that they would be unable to betray or backstab each other at least until after they dealt with their common enemy. Afterwards, there would be opportunities for the two groups to maneuver and fight for dominance, but their cooperation was assured for the moment.

The newer contract, just waiting for a signature, was the one for the genie that wished to ally alongside them at least long enough to witness their plan against Timmy Turner. That one possessed far greater detail since they knew less about him and genies were naturally untrustworthy. Granted, neither anti-fairies nor pixies were known to be someone to trust, but genies were more powerful and dangerous. There was a reason they were bound to lamps and bottles, keeping them contained most of the time. HP drew up the contract himself, placing every restriction he could imagine while still placing enough minor loopholes that the genie would be certain to sign. The biggest loophole of the contract to the genie was similar that of the other contracts: any threat to the health or freedom of the one who signed would leave the contract null and void. As long as there was no danger to the genie, he was bound by their rules. He couldn't attack them, couldn't help Timmy Turner, and couldn't interfere in any manner when it came time for the plan to be enacted.

As he examined the words for any possible misunderstand of the terms, the Head Pixie nodded to himself in satisfaction. No one would realize it by looking at him, but the emotionless leader of the pixies was as close to being proud of his work as his species would ever display. If anything were to go wrong, it would not be due to his contracts. He'd examined it too carefully and took far too much care in the wording for such a thing to occur.


	23. Presents

She woke up early, initially too drowsy to recall why she felt so excited. Then Amanda remembered what day it was and a smile spread across her face. The girl slipped out of bed silently and reached underneath it. She knew she should have placed her craft-based gifts under the tree already, but between the fact she'd wanted to surprise Norm with what she made and all the fun she had with him getting ready for Christmas, she'd forgotten to move the hidden packages the night before.

As she slid the presents under the tree, Amanda realized they weren't the only wrapped objects waiting. For the first time in years, there were gifts with her name under the Christmas tree. While momentarily surprised by that fact, after she recalled her letter to Santa, the girl accepted the pleasant development gracefully.

Smoothing out her nightgown, the brown-haired child decided to risk waking the slumbering genie. After all, she would be heading to Timmy's house for the day later on. She should make the most of their morning before she left.

Picking up the lava lamp from her night stand, Amanda rubbed it gently and said, "Good morning, Norm. Wake up. It's Christmas morning."

There was a slight hesitation before the teal smoke billowed out of the lamp and a bleary-eyed genie appeared. Yawning slightly, he ruffled her messy hair a little.

"Hey, kid. You've got a serious case of bed-head going on there," he commented before glancing towards the decorated tree. "Looks like someone ended up on the fat guy's nice list. Surprise, surprise. I guess you should start unwrapping the goods since we went to the trouble of bribing him with sweets."

"You better look under the tree too," she grinned. "You might have something."

As she started to unwrap the closest package, Norm smiled wryly, "If that tubby guy in the red suit actually left me something, I would start to suspect some type of brain injury was responsible. I really don't belong on the _nice_ list."

"Just look, Norm," she urged.

He rolled his eyes briefly, his expression clearly visible over his shades, but Amanda's attention was now pulled towards her own gifts. In one of the boxes was a purple rug that would look nice next to her bed. Another contained a rather pretty chess set that appeared to have a magical theme with wizards, dragons, fairies, genies, and brave knights as the pieces. A third package held a stuffed rabbit with white fur, long ears, and sunglasses. Finally, a fourth box held a painting that mostly seemed to be a swirling, sparkling cloud of teal, purple, sea green, and gold that gave off the impression of a dreamy and magical landscape without depicting any identifiable features. Each wonderful gift seemed amazing and far too precious for her to deserve, but Amanda accepted them happily.

A soft _gong_ briefly distracted her and she looked up to see the genie biting into a large icing-covered cinnamon roll while he passed her a second one. Amanda eagerly took a bite of the warm and gooey breakfast. She didn't know if he'd used his magic to create the food or if he'd transported it from somewhere else. Either way, it was delicious. She sat there, eating her breakfast and looking at the amazing presents that Santa left for her. Everything seemed perfect. She was completely satisfied to stay in that moment forever, maybe humming the Christmas song the genie taught her the night before.

Noticing finally that Norm was still floating in place without even bothering to look for a present with his name, the girl decided to just go ahead and hand him his gift.

Reaching out her carefully-wrapped object, Amanda said, "Didn't I tell you to look for something with your name on it?"

"Wait, are you telling me the big guy was actually crazy enough to toss me something out of his bag of goodies?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, this is from me," the girl clarified, still holding out the gift. "I made you and my other friends some presents at school. I even got my mom and dad something. I'll have to deliver the cards for AJ, Chester, and Tootie later, but I can take the rest of the presents with me when I go to Timmy's house."

The genie stared at the offered gift with an odd expression on his face. Part of it was a look of surprise, but there was something else too. While Amanda tried to puzzle out the emotions he was feeling, he slowly pushed his sunglasses further up to block his eyes from sight.

"Oh," he said quietly. "I see."

Finally the genie grasped the present, but didn't immediately move to open it. He just held it awkwardly. Amanda didn't feel bad about the delay, however. He didn't look like he didn't like the idea of being given a present; he looked like he didn't have any idea what to do with it. She couldn't even imagine how long it had been since someone gave him a gift. She wouldn't worry about his reaction until after the shock wore off enough to let him actually open the thing.

"Thanks, kid," muttered Norm eventually. "I guess… you'll probably be going to Turner's soon, right?"

"I have to give Mom and Dad their gift first, but yes," she nodded, gathering up the torn wrapping paper to throw away. "I hope you'll have fun while I'm gone."

"Sure, I'll find something to occupy my time," he said, _gonging_ the discarded wrapping away with the snap of his fingers. As Amanda picked up the presents she'd yet to deliver, Norm added quietly, "Just don't let yourself get hurt, kid."

"Why would I get hurt?"

He shook his head, "Never mind. I'm sure your parents' gift will be amazing and far more than they deserve."

Amanda didn't know how to respond to that, so she gave him a warm smile. Gathering up her clothes for the day, she quickly found the genie speeding up the changing process by _gonging_ her into her usual outfit. He also added a teal coat, purple scarf, and purple earmuffs that she knew she didn't own. The girl finished preparation by slipping the lava lamp into her backpack and pulling it on.

"Merry Christmas, Norm," she said as she headed for her bedroom door. "And I hope you'll like your present when you decide to open it."

Glancing down sheepishly at the still-wrapped present in his hands, he replied, "I… I know I will."

Giving the genie one last grin, Amanda slipped out of her warmly-decorated room into the clean and neat rest of the house. Detouring briefly for a glass of milk from the kitchen, the girl heard the footsteps of her parents leaving their bedroom. She took several seconds to gather her courage and determination. Then she entered the living room.

Even though neither of them needed to work on Christmas morning, both were already dressed and sitting on the couch. They seemed to be discussing the office party from the night before. Amanda wasn't surprised they didn't notice her entering the room. The girl was fighting the urge to hide inside her sweater and coat. Instead, she held out her carefully-wrapped package (that abruptly seemed more ill-prepared and sloppier than it did outside the professionally-decorated room).

"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad," she mumbled, her eyes dropping to the floor the instant the adults glanced in her direction. "I got you a present."

Sparing a second to look at the offered gift with a look of annoyance and confusion, her mother asked, "Where did you get the money? You better not have been sneaking some of ours to waste on frivolous items."

"No, I wouldn't do that," she quickly shook her head. "I made it at school. Honest. I just… Well, this _is_ Christmas and I… I just thought… maybe you might… you might like a present for the holiday."

Sighing in frustration, her father said, "If you _insist_ in bothering us, but you better not expect us to waste our resources picking something up for you."

Amanda watched hopefully as her parent reluctantly opened the package, revealing the clay creation. Painted red was a small heart-shaped dish, the pottery the result of quick-drying clay her teacher provided. She'd worked extremely hard on the object, hoping her parents would be happy with it. But for all her effort and time, it failed to fulfill her goal. Barely looking at the dish, her father tossed it to the side and frowned at her.

"Are you finished bothering us now?"

"Wait," interrupted his wife. "Where did you get that coat? We didn't buy that for you."

"I… A friend gave it to me," answered Amanda quietly, staring at the discarded gift resting beside them on the couch. "It was a present."

Her mother scoffed, "What kind of person would waste their time and money getting you a coat if they didn't have to? Other kids especially wouldn't do something like that. That's too practically and they, unlike us, aren't obligated to take care of you."

"He… he didn't do it because… because he _had_ to," she said. "He did it because he wanted to."

"Why would anyone…?" began her mother, but Amanda dashed towards the front door to escape.

She needed to go to Timmy's house. She needed to give out the rest of the presents. And she needed to get away from her parents before she began crying.

* * *

Norm floated just out of sight, gritting his teeth in an effort to remain silent. He'd followed Amanda to observe the discussion. He'd known it was going to be bad. The genie knew the two adults in the girl's life were awful, but they were really demonstrating a new low. What happened to all that "goodwill towards your fellow man" garbage? Shouldn't they show a hint of the Christmas spirit towards at least their own flesh and blood?

His patience was absolutely gone. The smart thing would be to go to Canada and blow off some steam before he did something he might regret. Norm knew I would be smarter to wait until he could control his temper and approach the situation with a cool head.

But the genie couldn't care less what was the "smart" idea.

"Let's bring a little joy to the world," he growled under his breath, snapping his fingers.

As the soft _gong_ rang out, Mr. and Mrs. Adams began to erupt into a storm of coughs, sneezes, and moans about their heads. An abrupt and strong case of the flu might not be exactly his first preference for punishment, but he couldn't risk anything permanent or that might result in Amanda suffering as a side effect. Tiredness, clogged sinuses, and fever would have to satisfy him for the moment. And maybe some vomiting later if he was still feeling vindictive.

If the two jerks wanted to make his young master miserable during the holidays, then he could certainly return the favor. He'd been waiting a long time to make them suffer.

As the sick parents shuffled off to their bedroom to rest their aching heads, Norm smirked and sang smugly, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know."

* * *

In Timmy's opinion, this was one of the best Christmases he'd experienced in a while. In addition to some awesome presents and having his parents home all day, he'd managed to avoid any magical or mundane disasters. The holiday was perfectly intact. The boy couldn't help feeling relieved that Christmas wasn't about to be ruined forever.

As his mom finished putting a turkey in the oven for a few hours and his dad hugged another carton of eggnog, Timmy sorted his presents into three categories. Some were dorky, like itchy sweaters and such. Others were nice and fairly decent. Finally, there was the awesome stuff that would normally be the result of magical wishes, like the latest Crash Nebula video game. Happily there were mostly gifts in the third group.

"Having a good time, Sport?" asked Wanda, his fairies in disguise in the fishbowl beside him.

"Of course. Did Poof like what Santa left him?"

"Yep, though he won't share his candy canes," said Cosmo, swimming around the bowl in an attempt to snag one of the treats from the smaller goldfish.

Before the boy could respond to his godfather's words (and point out that stealing candy from babies tended to work better when the baby in question wasn't magical), the doorbell rang. Considering the fact the carolers had already visited and Vicky definitely wouldn't be visiting (the holiday cheer and goodwill probably would make her burst into flames), there was only one real possibility.

Timmy dashed to the door and yanked it open. Standing there, bundled against the cold and the snow, was Amanda. She was balancing a few small wrapped packages in her arms and wore a smile across her face. Her eyes, however, were suspiciously red for someone looking so cheerful.

"What happened? Why were you crying?" he asked immediately.

It mildly surprised him that not even for a moment did he suspect Norm to be the culprit. As much as he might personally hate and distrust the genie, Timmy doubted he'd reduce the girl to tears on Christmas. The jerk liked her too much for that.

"I'm fine. Really," she assured, stepping inside.

Wanda, staring at the younger child with a far more knowledgeable look than any fish had the right to wear, said, "Was it your parents? Did something happen with them this morning?"

When the brunette girl dropped her eyes to the floor and shuffled slightly, Timmy knew his godmother was on the right track. That meant there was only one course of action available: distract her with the mindless violence of video games and other activities. Silently promising himself to wish her parents to turn into slugs after the holiday was over, boy grabbed her arm with one hand while holding the fishbowl with the other. Then, he tugged her towards the staircase.

"Hey, Mom," he yelled. "Amanda's here and we're going up to my room to play."

"Okay," she called back. "I'll let you know when the food's ready. Or your father gets ready to launch something dangerous at the Dinklebergs."

"Dinklebergs," muttered Dad before embracing his half-empty carton. " _My_ eggnog."

Shaking his head at his parent's behavior, Timmy led his guest to his room in the hopes of cheering her up.

* * *

So many fancy and designer-name gifts, so little time. Everything was perfect for the most popular girl at school. Her new wardrobe would certainly make an impression. But as much as she might like the presents, Trixie was saving the best for last: the one from Sanjay.

Picking up the last wrapped package, she carefully pulled off the paper while hiding her true excitement. Even with only her father as a witness in the room, Trixie maintained the image. She couldn't take any further risks of having someone realize she wasn't the perfect and flawless girl they believed. She would have to maintain her image constantly for a while until she was certain all suspicions had died down.

Still, she couldn't quite keep the hints of a smile from sparking as she realized what the gift was. It was a snow globe. Not a pretty and feminine one. Instead, it had several characters from "Skull Squisher" inside, frozen in action poses. It was definitely not something most people would get. She couldn't even guess where Sanjay found it. All she knew was that she absolutely loved it.

* * *

After a lot of internal debate, Norm decided to postpone his plans to hit Amanda's parents with some nausea on top of their current symptoms. It was a close decision, though. Mostly he decided to skip it because he really didn't want to listen to them and he had no intentions of leaving the house yet. There was still something he needed to do.

The present, wrapped in bright paper and sitting on Amanda's bed patiently, still needed to be dealt with. And honestly, Norm really didn't know what to think. People didn't give him stuff. It was usually the other way around. That was the whole point of him granting wishes. He gave other people things via magic. Granted, he didn't usually give them what they wanted, but that was beside the point. Every time he thought he'd adapted to Amanda, she'd do or say something that reminded him that she was completely outside his usual experiences with humans. It didn't happen as often anymore, but she could still surprise him.

Of course, if he'd known she was getting presents for people somehow, he'd probably have figured out what she had in mind for him. If he knew she'd found a way to find gifts for Turner, her parents, and other people in her life, it wasn't that surprising she'd do the same thing for him. While it was strange to picture anyone else in the universe wanting to give him a present for Christmas, Amanda wanting to simply made sense. For a reason that would likely stun all of his former masters and about ninety percent of the rest of the population, the kid liked him and treated him the same way she would her family or her tiny collection of friends.

He glanced back towards the gift. Thinking in circles about how he wouldn't have experienced this little gesture of generosity and kindness in the past was pointless. Now he had his exceptional, interesting, too-nice-for-her-own-good, little master and she _did_ give him a present. He might as well go ahead and see what she got him.

The colorful paper came off easily, revealing something constructed out of popsicle sticks and glitter. Even if he rarely spent time watching kids make arts-and-crafts, the genie wasn't completely clueless. The flat, square shape was clearly intended to be a picture frame of some sort. It was small, cheap, and exactly the sort of easy project elementary school children would make.

The sort of thing they'd make and give as a gift to a family member or a best friend. Norm could easily picture thousands of kids making the exact same thing and handing them out to all the relatives for the holiday, along with weird macaroni art and paper snowflakes. The difference was that Amanda didn't have an army of aunts and uncles she needed to mass produce presents for and was taking the simplest method. The kid made him a picture frame because she honestly thought he might like it. She thought that there might be some memory he wanted to keep a picture of and store somewhere. The girl was thoughtful enough that anything that she would give someone would be exactly what she would believe they would like the most.

"I guess I can find a spot for it in my lamp," he smiled fondly before snapping his fingers. As it disappeared with a _gong_ , the genie added quietly, "And while she's off dispensing holiday cheer and whatnot to the rest of the world, I suppose it wouldn't kill me to help her out a little."

He snapped his fingers again.

* * *

As Timmy dragged the girl up the stairs, Amanda didn't notice a soft gong from inside her backpack. The cards she'd made for AJ, Chester, and Tootie vanished from where they sat next the lava lamp. In their place was a small note. It simply read " _Don't worry about it. I'll take care of delivery. –Norm_."

* * *

Tootie, trying to keep quiet as she moved around to the back of the Christmas tree, was considering it to be a good day so far. Neither of her parents was too badly nervous at the moment and Vicky, who tended to be even grouchier on Christmas since so few parents wanted her to babysit on that day, was cheerfully gathering up her coal with the intention of selling it for cash. The red-haired teenager was ignoring her younger sister almost completely so far, taking only the time for one horrifying threat of violence. Most of her gifts weren't even hit with a flamethrower yet.

In regards to presents, she'd been beyond ecstatic to receive a short note from Timmy (complete with a candy cane) thanking her for not stalking him nearly as much since the Snow Ball. It gave her hope that her new strategy of not overwhelming him with affection might be having an effect. Travis also got her a rather nice gift. Somehow he found a flame-retardant fairy-princess doll, complete with magic wand and sparkles. Between that and the stuff her parents gave her and the gifts from Santa, Tootie was willing to believe that she was having the best Christmas ever.

As she waited for her sister to finish her dark muttering and to drag her bag of coal out the front door, a soft sound caught her attention. The noise, almost a _gong_ , could have simply been her knocking into an ornament on the tree, but she paused long enough to look. Then she saw something she must have missed earlier. Tucked almost out of sight under the torn wrapping paper was an envelope with her name on it.

The dark-haired girl eagerly opened it and pulled out a card made from construction paper. The pink and blue object was practically dripping glitter and sequins, but it was so adorable. Then she smiled as she read the name at the bottom. The totally- _not_ -Timmy's-girlfriend-and-just-a-friend girl from the Snow Ball, Amanda, sent it. Tootie didn't know how the card ended up under the tree, but it was still a really nice gesture.

* * *

Once they were in his room, Timmy could feel the girl relax slightly. As his fairies _poofed_ into their usual selves, Amanda began pulling out wrapped packages from her backpack.

"I made all of you some presents at school," she explained, handing them out with a small smile. "I hope you'll like them."

"I'm sure we will," assured Wanda. "You know you didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"But I _wanted_ to."

"Oh, what is it? What is it?" Cosmo asked eagerly. "Tell me, tell me, tell me."

As Amanda giggled at the fairy's reaction, Wanda rolled her eyes skywards in a clear desire for the patience necessary to deal with her husband. Poof was already investigating his new gift with the same enthusiasm any child (or Cosmo) would an object wrapped in shiny paper. After a few moments of trying to tear away the wrapping by hand, the little fairy finally got a good grip and reduced the paper to crumpled shreds.

The infant fairy was left holding a doll made out of yarn. Timmy wasn't exactly sure how Amanda did it, but the head, body, and limbs of the toy was made out of purple yarn that was tied-off and braided at various points until it formed the correct shape. It was a small doll, but Poof instantly started happily playing with it. The boy was kind of impressed with what she made.

"Poof, what do you say?" prompted Wanda.

"Poof poof," smiled the infant.

"You're welcome," Amanda replied.

"Me next, me next," shouted Cosmo.

The green-haired fairy spent five minutes trying to rip open the package. He tugged this way and that, trying to pry the paper away. At one point, Timmy was certain he saw his godfather trying to use his teeth to gnaw his way through the obstacle. The brown-haired girl was barely able to stay on her feet as she giggled at the failed unwrapping attempt. Wanda, who would usually crack and help her husband out before this point, was too distracted by Poof showing off his new toy.

Panting tiredly, Cosmo said, "I admit it. There is no way to open this box."

Without even changing his expression, Timmy reached over and tore open the paper. The green-haired fairy stared at it a second before diving into the now-open box and pulled out his gift.

" _String_ ," he cheered. "How did you know?"

"I couldn't think of anything else," the girl explained. "But I knew Cosmo liked string, so I thought he might like spare yarn from Poof's toy."

"That was a good idea," stated Wanda. "Otherwise, he'd probably have more fun with the box than the gift itself."

"Yay!" laughed the green-haired fairy, waving the yarn above his head as he floated around the room.

"Yep. He's going to be happy for a while," Timmy said.

The pink-haired fairy smiled, "I guess it's my turn."

Wanda seemed to have a lot less trouble than her son or husband did with unwrapping the gift from Amanda. She quickly exposed what looked like a small glass jar, the sort that baby food usually came in. The whole thing seemed to be filled with a thick, clear liquid and glitter. While Timmy felt puzzled initially, his godmother seemed to understand what it was and turned it upside down briefly. As the glitter swirled around inside, the boy realized it was a homemade snow globe.

"That's beautiful, Amanda," she said. "Thank you."

"So you like it?" the girl asked.

"Are you kidding," interrupted Timmy. "That's awesome. How did you make that?"

Looking surprisingly happy with the praise, she said, "My teacher had instructions and things to make different projects. The snow globe is just glitter and corn syrup in a jar that's been glued shut."

"Well, it still looks pretty neat," he responded. "I can't wait to open my gift now."

* * *

The cards delivered to the three kids who weren't Turner, Norm turned his attention to straightening up Amanda's room. He'd already heard her parents complaining about her new coat and scarf; he wasn't going to risk them finding the decorations in her room just in case they managed to stumble out of bed long enough to be an annoyance. Snapping his fingers, the tree and other festive additions vanished with a satisfying _gong_.

As he began considering which of the various possible female genies he could go visit for the rest of the day (his thoughts leaning slightly more towards a particularly perky blue-haired one named Robin), he noticed that not everything vanished from the room. Lying innocently on the floor, as if he hadn't just performed magic to get rid of everything holiday-related, was a red envelope. On the outside was his name, written in a fancy and swirly style that Amanda definitely didn't use to write.

Staring at the envelope for a few minutes skeptically, Norm finally muttered, "If Tanda is trying to invite me to some holiday-themed version of her 'Around the World on Eighty Hunks' thing…"

Tearing open the red envelope, Norm pulled out the rather expensive-looking parchment paper and began reading. It wasn't a long letter, but he spent several minutes reading. Then he read it again, wondering if he'd made a mistake. After all, it was possible. And then he read it a third time, knowing that he'd been correct the first time in his understanding of the letter and yet unable to stop himself from trying to find the joke that _must_ be going on.

_Dear Norm the Genie,_

_I can honestly say that I never expected to be writing to you like this. Especially after the incident with Chester McBadbat melting the North Pole after you granted his wish. Though I did get the chance to meet two very attractive genies…_

_Anyway, I am writing this because of a very intriguing letter I received this year. Normally I read various requests for toys, books, games, and even clothes from the boys and girls of the world (and once for the day after Christmas, but that was due to an out-of-control wish from Timmy Turner in need of being fixed). Sometimes, however, someone will write me a letter that is a little different. You can imagine my surprise at receiving a request from someone who has not wrote to me in years. Amanda Adams, who is assuredly on my Nice List, has asked me for something that cannot be found in my workshop and cannot be wrapped with a bow. It is also something I cannot give._

_What she asked for is nothing for herself, but for another. I have no doubts that you are unsurprised by that fact. Instead, her only Christmas wish was for you. Her letter said that she did not need any gifts. All she wanted for Christmas is for you to be happy. A simple request, but not one I can deliver._

_The reason I cannot do so is because you are already happy. Whether or not you are willing to admit that fact to yourself or anyone else, you are honestly and truly happy. You are happier than you have been in thousands of years. And you may complain about Timmy and you may always have issues with Canada since that time with the extremely patriotic Canadian master you had about 150 years ago, but I also know for a fact that you are happy with the way your life is at this time. I cannot fulfill Amanda's wish to make you happy because she already has done so._

_All I can do to grant her request is to inform you of what she wrote me and to suggest that you put aside old grievances. Rather than focus on the past and enemies who no longer try to make you miserable, perhaps you could appreciate and enjoy fully what you now have. Petty vengeance will never make you as happy as the child who used her Christmas wish on you. I suggest you keep that truce with Timmy Turner and maybe, some day in the future, the two of you can be more than reluctant allies for Amanda's sake. And for your own sake. After all, you can never predict what your actions might cause given enough time and all choices come with a price. While I doubt you will ever end up on the Nice List, I would hate to see something tragic happen to someone that such an innocent young girl cares for so much._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Santa Claus_

"She really can't help herself," the genie muttered after staring in silence at the letter for so long. "She just can't ask for anything for herself, no matter how much she deserves it. Her first letter to Santa in years and she wastes it on me? Good thing the fat guy was bright enough to give her some toys anyway or else…" He trailed off, shaking his head, "And who does he think he is, giving me some kind of life advice? If I wanted that sort of thing, I'd go to a therapist or something. I don't need that fat recluse who spends his time hiding out in the frozen north telling me how to live my life, even if he's knows everything about everyone. Not to mention both Turner and Canada deserve it." Crossing his arms, the genie paused long enough to quietly admit, "Okay, Turner _might_ not be the worst person on the planet, but that doesn't mean I'll ever like the brat. Even if he makes Amanda happy."

Happy. That's all the kid asked for. She wanted the genie to be happy. And he was. Even with the fact he was living in a tense truce with Turner, he was honestly happy with how things were going. He liked it. Even if the entertaining fantasy of having the boy sacrificed by natives to the volcano might never come to pass, he didn't mind too much. In fact, if Norm was being completely truthful with himself, it wouldn't kill him to be civil to Turner occasionally so he could actually watch Amanda have a good time with the boy.

"Either this holiday spirit thing is starting to get to me or I'm going soft," he said quietly to himself.

Then, all further thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

* * *

Timmy didn't know what Amanda could have possibly made him, but he carefully unwrapped the package with the knowledge that it would likely be pretty neat. Inside the box was a small shape. Frowning with thought, the brown-haired boy pulled out the paper object and studied it for a moment.

He knew what origami was. At least, he did in theory. So it didn't take him long to figure out what she'd done. Amanda's gift was an origami crane, folded perfectly out of white paper. While certainly less exciting than a new video game or a sled or anything else he might find under the tree, it was still a thoughtful and rather interesting gift. It was certainly not something he'd ever expect. And it was definitely something he wouldn't be able to replicate without the use of magic. Origami just wasn't a skill he'd learned over the years.

"Do you like it?" Amanda asked.

Before the boy could nod and assure his friend that he liked her homemade present, the world vanished with a _foop_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, lots of presents in this chapter. And a cliffhanger. I hope that doesn't bother you too much. Oh, and all the stuff Amanda made as gifts? I've made the exact same things in the past. I did lots of arts-and-crafts projects in my childhood and I have a real knack for origami cranes.


	24. Trapped

Amanda didn't consider herself an expert in magic. She knew she wasn't even close to that. She'd only known about magic for a few months. But the brunette child was learning and tried to pay attention to what happened around her. And so far, she learned there were differences between magic.

It wasn't just different sounds, though that was a factor. And it wasn't just the differences in how magic was activated, snapping fingers versus waving wands. What Amanda really noticed was a feeling that accompanied the burst of magic. It was subtle and faint, but she could still notice it. With Timmy's fairies, she could feel a warm, good sensation with each _poof_. Genie magic was different. Each _gong_ was accompanied by a wild, barely restrained, chaotic feeling that could be evil just as easily as good. For the girl, however, either type of magic seemed comforting.

This wasn't. This magic, demonstrated by the _foop_ as it teleported her away from Timmy's room, wasn't familiar. Amanda didn't know what caused it, but she knew it wasn't fairy or genie magic. The feeling that followed was too foreign. The sensation was cold, spiteful, and malicious. Even before she saw her new surroundings, the girl knew it would be bad.

The first thing she noticed was that her backpack was no longer with her, which scared her. She needed that. She always had either Teddy or, more recently, Norm's lamp. She kept them in her backpack. Losing her backpack, and thus one of the two objects, was unthinkable. She needed her backpack. She needed the lava lamp back.

The second thing she noticed was that she and Timmy were in a giant birdcage dangling from a chain. It was a gold metallic thing, complete with a perch higher up that looked perfect for a giant canary to use. The bars were definitely too close together to slip through and Amanda could spot a lock on the wire door. A quick look at Timmy proved that he was equally confused by their abrupt entrapment.

"Ahh! A butterfly net!" screamed familiar voices, yanking the girl's attention to the rest of the room.

Not far away rested a large butterfly net, trapping Timmy's fairy god-family underneath. Cosmo and Wanda looked horrified while Poof looked sad and scared, huddled close to his parents for comfort. Timmy, spotting his fairies, was pressed against the bars of the cage and asking if they were all right. While the boy placed himself as close as possible to his god-family, even if he had no chance of actually reaching them, Amanda's eyes were drawn to the rest of her surroundings.

Darkness clung to the space, obscuring details and leaving the corners hidden. Dark stone made up the walls and floor except for the metal beneath the birdcage and net. One end of the room held a giant archway leading to a dark hallway. Along opposite walls were bleachers, empty and waiting for an audience. At the far side from the main entrance was a trio of balconies, nearly invisible in the shadows. There was a slight chill in the air, the distant rumble of thunder, and holly that was oddly scattered around in a decorative manner. The holiday touches did little to diminish the unease the rest of the surroundings caused. Even spotting her backpack and the presents from Timmy's house tossed in the corner of the room did nothing to assure her.

"Don't worry," said Timmy, though Amanda didn't know if he was speaking to her or his trapped fairies. "We'll get out of here."

Amanda tried to ignore the hint of doubt in the boy's voice.

* * *

Though his facial expression was a neutral as usual, Sanderson knew the Head Pixie was pleased with events. Anti-Cosmo managed to capture Turner and his fairies (plus an extra prisoner) without trouble. With the completion of step one, they were waiting in the meeting room with a contract for the last-minute addition to their team. The three magical creatures were eager to proceed to step two, but none minded the wait too much. After all, it would allow the boy time to grow more concerned about his fate.

Around the table was HP and Anti-Cosmo, the anti-fairy smiling smugly. Sanderson floated slightly behind his boss, waiting patiently for his signal.

With a _foop_ , Anti-Wanda appeared with the final guest. Taller than the rest of them and ending in a smoky tail, the genie had arrived. His sunglasses were shoved so far up his nose that his eyes were completely concealed, but Sanderson generally wore his shades in a similar manner and didn't consider it that odd. The pixie didn't completely trust him, though that was unsurprising. The contract would help fix that.

"Howdy, everybody," greeted Anti-Wanda. "This here is Norm. He hates that Timmy Turner fellow and wants to watch." Waving at the group, she continued, "That Mr. Sanderson and his boss, Head Pixie. And that handsome guy is my Anti-Cosmo. He's really smart."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered the genie. "Want to explain why you waited for the holiday season to strike? I could have had plans, you know."

"Elementary, Norman," smirked Anti-Cosmo, ignoring the annoyed grimace at the name. "Due to their more jovial and helpful natures, our fairy counterparts loan a significant portion of their magic to Mr. Claus during Christmas. The generous act leaves the species close to powerless during this time. Therefore, young Timothy Turner would be unable to defend himself by wishing."

"Furthermore," continued HP, "we took other precautions to ensure they remain contained. Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof have been placed under a butterfly net and thus under our control."

Anti-Wanda shuddered, "Jeepers, them gives me the creeps. Do we gotta keep it here?"

"Now, my dear," soothed her husband, floating over to pat her shoulder. "There is no reason to fret. You'll be perfectly fine."

"Butterfly net? Serious?" Norm asked, his tone as flat as that of a pixie.

Sanderson explained dully, "If it has wings and flies, a butterfly net can capture it."

Shaking his head, the genie said, "Whatever, Corporate Pinhead. The weird weaknesses aren't really why I'm here. The Queen of Foot Sandwiches said there's a contract to sign first. So let's get moving. I was promised a show."

"Of course, my good fellow," said Anti-Cosmo, giving him a fanged smile. "There's no reason to delay proceedings any more than necessary. We just have a few rudimentary questions to get out of the way. Mostly about your motives for being here today."

With that cue, Sanderson pulled out his cell phone. With a dull _ping_ , a polygraph appeared attached to the genie. While momentarily surprised, Norm didn't react too strongly to the object's arrival. Instead, he adopted a rather smug-looking grin.

"Want to make sure we're all on the same side? Sure, I'll play along," he remarked, crossing his arms. "Here's the honest truth. I am definitely not Turner's friend. I've tormented him, messed with his love life for fun and revenge, tricked him, nearly made him permanently lose his fairies merely because it would benefit me, and simply tried to make him miserable. I've plotted and schemed against the brat. I've daydreamed about Turner suffering horrible fates. I especially enjoyed my 'teleport him to Mars' idea. We can't be in the same room without fighting and he's screamed at the sight of me multiple times. Considering how long I've known the boy, it is amazing how much energy I've invested into hating him. For quite some time, I couldn't imagine very many things more entertaining than watching the brat suffer. So, Baron British, do you believe me now?"

From Sanderson's position, he could see that the machine never reacted to the genie's words. Everything he'd said was true. Even if the pixie didn't completely trust Norm, at least he honestly did have a vendetta against Turner. That was at least as much of a guarantee for cooperation as they had from the anti-fairies.

"Brilliant," declared Anti-Cosmo as HP banished the polygraph. "Now, all you have to do is sign the contract and everything will be taken care of. Sanderson can show you the way when you're finished."

"And what exactly is the gist of the paperwork?" Norm asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I plan to read it before scribbling my name on the dotted line. I'm not stupid. But I want to make sure I'm not wasting my time first."

"It says no back-stabbing," said Anti-Wanda.

Her husband clarified, "It mostly assures no one works against the best interest of our business associates. We don't do anything to threaten your well-being, you don't threaten ours, and no one helps Timothy. The magically-binding contract will ensure that you won't be able to harm us or ruin our plans for the child. On the other hand, any threat to the health or freedom of the one who signs it, namely you, will leave the contract null and void. Which means everyone could go back to attacking each other like savages, but it would be easier to skip that messy business. Do you agree to that, Norman?"

The genie frowned briefly, probably at being called "Norman" again if Sanderson was to guess, but gave the anti-fairy a slow nod, "I'll have to double-check the fine-print, but it sounds reasonable."

"Splendid," he grinned. "You can take your time with that while we get started with the opening act of the show."

"Sanderson," said HP in a calm monotone. "Be certain to bring him to the balcony when he is finished."

"Of course," he replied as the two anti-fairies and Head Pixie vanished.

* * *

This was bad. This was very bad. Timmy honestly wondered if the holiday was cursed. He couldn't believe he, Amanda, and his fairies were kidnapped on Christmas. Couldn't his archenemies take a break?

He knew where he was, more or less. Anti-Fairy World. The dark and oppressing atmosphere certainly made that clear. Only Vicky could devise a creepier surroundings and she was thankfully unable to use magic.

On the other hand, he was equally deprived of a magical solution at the moment. Even if his fairies weren't trapped under a butterfly net, it was still Christmas. Until the end of the day, they were essentially powerless. Whoever planned this knew how to time it for when they would be at their most vulnerable.

Even worse was the fact Amanda was dragged along for the ride. She looked anxious and confused as they waited in their birdcage. The boy didn't know what to tell her. She never faced magical threats before. She shouldn't even be involved. Regardless of whether this was the work of Anti-Cosmo or Foop, it wasn't right to toss her into the middle of it. Norm would blast him to the ends of the galaxy for this.

Assuming they managed to escape.

"What's taking so long?" asked Cosmo, the initial fear of being trapped in a butterfly net fading due to a short attention span. "I'm bored."

"Then trying thinking of a way out," the godchild suggested, tugging at the gold bars of his cage.

Dozens of _foops_ and _pings_ rang out abruptly, startling the kids and fairies. The empty bleachers along the walls instantly filled with both dark and gray-suited figures, letting Timmy know things were even worse than he imagined. Not only were anti-fairies now staring at the trapped individuals with vindictive glee, but pixies were also watching with identically-bored expressions.

"Not good," he muttered.

"I suppose that would depend on your point of view, Timothy."

The boy spun around to find a darker (and far more cunning) copy of his godfather floating down the hallway towards them. In addition to Anti-Cosmo was Anti-Wanda, the anti-fairy quickly taking a seat on the bleachers while pulling out a sandwich. The Head Pixie also accompanied him, his face only showing the faintest hints of interest. Of course, that tiny glimmer of emotion was like the pixie equivalent of jumping on the table and dancing while cheering at the top of his lungs.

"What do you guys want?" the boy snapped. "Can't you at least leave me alone on Christmas?"

As the leaders of the two species floated closer, HP said, "While it might be traditional to take time off at this point in the year, we would rather keep productivity up. Besides, this is the ideal time to handle the problems that originate from you."

"Not really. I wasn't bothering you. I was spending time at home with my family. Which you're _interrupting_. It isn't like I have my parents at home and not working a lot."

"Don't worry about missing that quality time," smirked Anti-Cosmo. "We made sure your parents wouldn't notice your absence for the moment."

* * *

Mrs. Turner stared at her son as they sat down at the dinner table, trying to figure out what seemed different about Timmy. Ever since Amanda apparently left (so quietly neither adult noticed), he'd been mostly keeping to himself. Not to mention he looked more shiny and metal than normal. Of course, her husband didn't seem to notice anything unusual about their child. Since Christmas only came once a year (usually), he was determined to enjoy his eggnog while he had the chance. She couldn't help smiling ruefully at him as the man guzzled the liquid.

She truly did love her family, even at her busiest and most stressed moments. Even if she didn't truly start dating him until college, it seemed like they were destined to marry. Their childhood nicknames practically declared the fact that they would end up together and have a child.

It was amusing how nicknames evolved. "Monica" and "Daniel" became "Mon" and "Dan." Then the neighborhood kids they played with realized how similar the shortened names sounded to "Mom" and "Dad." Somehow, the nicknames stuck. Timmy was lucky they didn't choose a name that sounded like "Son" or "Child." That would just be a little odd.

Pulling her thoughts back on topic, she tried to determine what was different about her son at the moment. Was it his stiff, jerky movements? The occasional beeping sound? Or maybe he had a fight with his friend and was upset about it…

Deciding the last one seemed more reasonable, she asked, "Timmy, is everything all right?"

"Yes, Mother, I am perfectly fine," he answered in an even tone.

Trying to prompt a better response from him, she asked, "Is there anything you'd like to do after we eat?"

"Perhaps we could break a few mirrors? Or run underneath a ladder? Or throw black cats at our neighbors?"

"Throwing things at the Dinkleburgs?" shrieked Dad cheerfully, dropping his eggnog in order to scoop up his son in a hug. "Oh, Timmy, you've made me so proud. This is the best Christmas ever."

"Thank you, Father. I look forward to the chaotic merriment."

Deciding that maybe a little father-son bonding would fix whatever the problem was, she turned her attention back to the meal.

* * *

"You replaced me with a robot?" said Timmy, his tone completely flat. "Why am I not surprised that would work?"

"Because your parents are easily fooled?" Cosmo suggested helpfully.

The boy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his godfather's words, though he could see Anti-Cosmo grimacing at this doppelganger's comment. Timmy instead tried to sound like he was in control of the situation rather than a kid trapped in a cage.

"Look, I don't know what you want, but can we take a rain-check? Just let us go home and we'll do the whole 'take over the world/save the world' thing another time. I'm sure you'd rather spend Christmas with your family."

"I hate my mother, my son is a disgrace who'd rather betray his parents than work with us, and my dearest Anti-Wanda is perfectly content watching from the bleachers," the anti-fairy stated casually.

"I've got snacks," his wife declared cheerfully, her toes easily grasping the sandwich.

"So I believe we'll be continuing today, regardless of your offers to reconvene at another time," he finished.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest and trying to glare down the two magical creatures while hiding his concern about the situation, Timmy stated, "Fine, but this is the part where traditionally the villain starts explaining the evil plot. If you're going to ruin my Christmas, I think I deserve an explanation."

"But of course," said the Head Pixie in a dull monotone. "Would you like the charts and graphs we prepared to help clarify our intentions?"

"Let me guess. Are they in various shades of gray?" asked Wanda, staring sharply at their captors from underneath the butterfly net.

"Yes."

"Then I say just stick to the facts," Timmy said.

Giving the boy a fanged grin, Anti-Cosmo replied, "Very well. It has become clear to both anti-fairies and pixies that you are a serious hindrance to our plans. Actually, there are others who find you to also be nuisance, but that's not the point. The point is how we have run out of patience in dealing with your shenanigans."

"If any of us want to reach our long-term goals, we have to stop future interference from you," said HP.

"And it would be tragically unfair if we didn't at least ensure you knew why you're about to suffer a tragic fate, which is why we brought you here. If we didn't deal with you in Anti-Fairy Word, so many of us would miss out on watching the show," the anti-fairy continued, gesturing towards the audience. "You wouldn't want to deprive them of this entertainment, would you?"

"What entertainment?" Timmy asked, a sense of dread growing.

"The removal of you as a factor from all future endeavors," stated the Head Pixie.

Anti-Cosmo cheerfully clarified, "We're going to make you and your little friends nothing more than an annoying memory." He laughed briefly, "We should have sold tickets to your demise. We would have made a fortune."

* * *

Sanderson was vaguely impressed at how carefully the genie was reading the contract. Most humans, fairies, and assorted other individuals grew bored or confused by the legal jargon fairly quickly and signed without reading more than the first section. Or they would sign without reading any of it. Other pixies and lawyers of all sorts tended to be more cautious about understanding the terms of the agreement. Norm was being equally focused on taking his time to read every word. The pixie assumed it was due to how often genies were known for finding loopholes to exploit on wishes. It was satisfying to find someone who knew the power of specific wording, even if it was from a species known for their complete untrustworthiness.

Finally reaching the bottom of the page, the genie gave a short nod of satisfaction and jotted down a swirly "Norm" on the dotted line. Sanderson quickly took the contract, double-checked that everything was in order, and then vanished it with a _ping_.

"So we're done now?" the genie asked.

"Yes. I believe that the balcony will provide an ideal location to observe proceedings without interrupting."

And with that, the pixie led him out of the room.

 

* * *

Even after all his death-defying stunts and adventures, Anti-Cosmo's words sent a chill up Timmy's spine. Unlike in the past, he couldn't wish their way out. No magic until the end of the day combined with a butterfly net was not a good mix when it came to escaping certain doom. Furthermore, he was stuck in a metal cage by a pointy-headed pixie and a bad-luck-causing genius who _did_ have magic and plenty of backup waiting in the bleachers. He was just an eleven year old boy. The odds were definitely not in his favor.

"Now when you say 'demise,' what exactly do you mean?" he asked, his voice emerging as a squeak.

"Regardless of what I might have said in the past, Timothy, we both know you are not an idiot," commented Anti-Cosmo cheerfully. "We both know you understand exactly what I mean."

"Leave Timmy alone," snapped Cosmo, the small collection of brain cells in his head apparently sparking together enough for the green-haired fairy to realize his godchild was in serious trouble.

His wife quickly snarled, "If you even think about harming a hair on his head, I swear I'll stuff that monocle down your throat."

"Settle down," the anti-fairy urged, not even reacting to the protective instincts displayed. "We are not so cruel as to make you watch helplessly as we finally destroy the boy who has been a surprisingly-resourceful obstacle for so long."

"We intend to destroy his fairies as well," said HP.

" _What?_ " Timmy shouted. "You _can't_. W-what about the whole 'fairy/anti-fairy' balance? Wouldn't that wipe out Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda too?"

"Oh good gracious, no," the anti-fairy chuckled. "The whole thing is more focused on our origins, not our continued existence. There is an anti-fairy born for every fairy. That doesn't mean our deaths have to match up. Otherwise Foop's plot to take out Poof would be even more ill-conceived that it already is." Anti-Cosmo smiled thoughtfully to himself for a moment, "I'm sure our treacherous little boy will be pleased by this development."

"Think we can consider it as a Christmas present for him?" asked Anti-Wanda abruptly.

"But of course, dearest."

"Great. But how'll we wrap it?"

Fighting the urge to panic, Timmy tried to think of a way out. There had to be a way to save everyone. He didn't want to die and he certainly didn't want those he cared about to die, but he was out of resources and magic. He was trapped, out-numbered, and only possessed the clothes he was wearing. He'd managed to defeat enemies before without magic in the past, but he usually had something he could work with. Time, old wishes, allies, bribable enemies, the freedom of movement, _something_. But not this time. Furthermore, his opponents were smart. That meant even just tricking them was unlikely to work. There weren't many options. In fact, there was only one thing he could possibly try.

"Please, don't hurt Cosmo, Wanda, or Poof," he begged. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll agree to be one of you guys' godchild. I'll help out your world-conquering or destroying schemes. Whatever you want, just don't hurt my family."

"We did consider that option for a time," remarked the Head Pixie. "Your ability to succeed against most odds would be useful if it was for our purposes."

"But then we decided you've caused too many problems in the past to take the risk,' Anti-Cosmo continued, destroying the boy's last shred of hope. "Besides, we'd simply argue about who would get to keep you. It is far easier, neater, and far more satisfying to just kill all of you."

Pulling at the bars of the cage, Timmy shouted, "You can't do this."

"Yes, we can," smirked the anti-fairy, _fooping_ up a remote control.

Reaching out his hand, he allowed HP to press a button and the metal beneath the dangling birdcage began to retract, revealing a deep pit with molten lava at the bottom. The previous chill in the air was banished as heat rose up from the depths. It didn't take much imagination to know what would happen next. The cage would be lowered into the liquid, melting and burning him to death. His fairies, their faces clearly horrified already, could easily have the entire butterfly net shoved in. With no magic to protect themselves, they would undoubtedly share his fate. And there was nothing he could do to save them.

"Any last words before we destroy you, your fairies, and that random human child?" asked Anti-Cosmo.

His words made the boy's head snap up. Amanda. He'd nearly forgotten she was in the giant birdcage too. She was so quiet. She seemed to melt into the background without effort. Now she was standing near the back, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear. The younger child was shaking slightly as she stared down at the molten lava below.

* * *

Sanderson watched proceedings carefully from the balcony, floating beside eh last-minue guest. There was a surprisingly good view from their position. The only real distraction was the way the genie seemed to be growing tense the more Anti-Cosmo and HP spoke to the boy. The clenched fists and slight trembling as he watched events from behind his dark shades certainly tugged at the pixie's attention. Norm must truly hate the boy if he was experiencing this reaction even at Turner's upcoming demise.

When Anti-Cosmo asked the boy for any final words, the genie's arm began to move. Why, Sanderson didn't know. But the motion halted as soon as Turner spoke.

* * *

"Wait! Let Amanda go at least," Timmy begged. "She's not involved in this. If you won't spare me or my family, at least don't make her suffer too. You're mad at me, not her. She's never done anything to you. She shouldn't even be here."

"I agree that she was not intended to be part of our original plan," stated the Head Pixie. "But our business associate is talented at adapting to change."

"I don't know if she's some other godchild and we merely didn't snatch up her fairy while grabbing everyone in your room or if she's just a random girl who was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time," Anti-Cosmo continued. "But it doesn't really matter. We already have her, she seems to be important to you, and I think we're all in agreement that we want you to suffer." There were wild cheers and polite clapping from the audience of anti-fairies and pixies respectively, forcing him to pause briefly before stating firmly, "Since you want her safe, it stands to reason that dropping her alongside you into some scorching lava would be the wisest move on our part. So please enjoy the guilt of knowing you sealed your little friend's fate too. But on the bright side, you won't have to live with that guilt very long."

" _No!_ " Timmy shouted as the anti-fairy pressed another button on the remote control.

With a serious of clanks, the chain suspending them above the lava began to move. The birdcage slowly started lowering into the pit. The moment produced concerned shouts from his fairies, all three trying to reach out towards him through the butterfly net that kept them trapped. But the boy couldn't find the will power to call out to them or reassure his god-family one last time. It was all his fault. He was the one that Anti-Cosmo and the Head Pixie were trying to destroy. Everyone else's demise was just a side-effect.

Reaching out, he patted Amanda on the shoulder. He never meant for this to happen. He never meant to drag her into this mess. And now…

"I'm sorry," he said, not sure what else he could say or do.

He closed his eyes, preparing for what was coming.

_GONG!_


	25. Phenomenal Cosmic Power

Anti-Cosmo couldn't help smiling. Everything was going perfectly to plan. Turner and the random human child were being slowly sent to their doom. Meanwhile, his fairies could only watch in horror with the knowledge that they soon would share the boy's fate. There was no possible way to lose this time. Victory was completely assured. As he, the other anti-fairies, and the pixies watched the golden birdcage lower, Anti-Cosmo felt the urge to indulge in an evil laugh. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Then, a thunderous and reverberating sound filled the air as reality shifted around them.

_GONG!_

The anti-fairy clamped his hands over his ears, but it wasn't just the noise that overwhelmed him. It was the force of the magic, foreign and furious, that washed over him. There was so much of it. It was like being in the middle of a hurricane, but without the wind and water. This was just a chaotic and wild force, barely restrained by the one who released it. It wasn't the work of fairies or anti-fairies. Anti-Cosmo knew the sensation of that magic. And pixies were the opposite of chaos. There was only one person who could be responsible, but he didn't know how or _why_.

Then the anti-fairy realized he couldn't move.

* * *

As the noise faded away, Timmy opened his eyes to find his surroundings were far less life-threatening than before. The cage was gone. The pit of lava was also missing. The crowds of pixies and anti-fairies no longer occupied the bleachers. The boy couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

" _Timmy!_ " a trio of voices shouted right before he was nearly knocked over by impact.

The brown-haired boy found himself engulfed in a group hug. His fairies, apparently freed from the butterfly net, had instantly flown over to him. For several seconds, the family was more interested in reassuring themselves that their loved ones were safe rather than worrying about _how_. Timmy managed to wiggle his head out of the group hug enough to glance towards Amanda, not wanting to forget her presence a second time. The girl had apparently started running as soon as the cage and lava vanished since she was now in the corner of the room, holding onto her backpack as if terrified to let it slip away from her grasp again.

"Inconceivable," said Anti-Cosmo, yanking the boy's attention back to the fact that they weren't entirely alone.

While the crowds of watchers were gone, there were four observers left in the room. Anti-Cosmo, Anti-Wanda, the Head Pixie, and Sanderson remained (though Timmy was only guessing on the identity of the pixie since he could never tell most of them apart anyway). But all the former captors were in trouble. Butterfly nets now held them trapped; the nets far smaller than the ones used previously to capture Timmy's fairies. The mesh of the butterfly nets were tighter, restraining the magical creatures in place as effectively as cocooning Vicky in metal chains would. Arms, legs, and wings were pinned against their bodies, preventing any type of movement. Furthermore, Anti-Wanda and Sanderson were gagged.

"Anyone know what happened?" Timmy asked finally, staring at his former captors. "Where did all the others go? Why are they trapped now? And why aren't we? I'm not complaining, but this is sort of weird."

In a bored monotone, the Head Pixie replied, "There seemed to be a slight miscalculation in our plans."

"And what would that be?" asked Wanda, glaring at the now-trapped entities.

" _Me_ ," answered a voice that sent a shiver down Timmy's spine before he could even recognize the speaker.

He'd noticed the balconies earlier. What Timmy didn't notice during his near-dunking in the molten lava was that one of them had apparently been occupied. He was certainly aware of that fact now since a figure was floating down from the shadowy balcony. And if he'd been nervous about the genie before…

Norm was _mad_. Not annoyed, sarcastic, or frustrated. In fact, he was furious. The boy could feel himself cringing slightly. It wasn't that the genie was screaming and shouting at everyone while waving an ax. No, it was more subtle than that. He almost would have preferred an over-the-top reaction.

There was a stiffness to the genie's posture that reminded the boy of pulling back a slingshot or a bow string, as if the magical being was preparing to strike out at any moment. His facial expression was blank. There wasn't a hint of a smirk or a frown. And while Timmy knew better now, he once would have made jokes about the genie not having an ounce of humanity in him. Right now, however, the boy seriously wondered if the genie had discarded all hints of empathy, humanity, or mercy because Timmy couldn't seem to find it when he looked at Norm. The only place he could see anything close to a real emotion was in the genie's eyes. The sunglasses were gone. This meant the boy could see the fury burning below the surface. Timmy wouldn't have been surprised if the genie's eyes started glowing.

But the most unnerving thing wasn't anything that Timmy could see. It was what he could feel. Power. Magical power was practically radiating from the genie to the point where even the most oblivious observer without any knowledge or experience with such things would be able to identify the sensation. It hummed and fluxed, like a wild animal waiting to be released against the helpless prey. The boy remembered standing near the Big Wand before, the power source for all the wands fairies used and thus the source of their magical potential. He remembered an odd and pleasant feeling of something radiated and pulsing from the giant structure, like how standing near a giant speaker playing extremely low notes could be felt more than heard. The sheer amount of magic coming from the genie now reminded Timmy of the Big Wand, but that seemed impossible to imagine. There was no way a single magical entity could be producing as much magic as an object that powered an entire species. And yet the boy knew what he was feeling practically fighting to be unleashed.

The only relief Timmy felt as he looked at the furious figure approaching them was that the enraged gaze of the genie wasn't focused on him or his family. Instead, all of Norm's attention seemed to be on the four magical beings currently trapped in the butterfly nets.

He stopped a short distance away, closing his eyes briefly and his hands clenched into fists for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, the genie adopted a small grin that reminded Timmy of a shark and did little to hide Norm's real emotions. Then, the genie began to clap slowly.

"Bravo, Baron British," he said with false cheerfulness. "What a lovely little show. I certainly thought it was an entertaining way to spend the evening. I can't tell you how many times I've daydreamed of shoving Turner into a volcano."

" _You_ ," snarled Anti-Cosmo.

"But of course," he continued to grin. "All good stories need a fun plot twist near the end. It makes for a much more exciting finale. Besides, you only have yourselves to blame for this. How did the gray-suited dork put it? 'If it has wings and flies, a butterfly net can catch it'? Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm the only magical being here who doesn't have wings." He paused briefly before muttering, "Well, anymore at least. Stupid staple gun."

"We had a contract," said HP, his monotone voice gaining the faintest hint of confusion.

Floating around the room with his arms behind his back, the genie remarked, "Yes, we did. A nice little piece of legal work, I'll admit. The deal was I get to watch you torment Turner a little and I don't cause you any trouble. Well, as much of a pain in the neck Mister Overbite over there might be, I have to admit that I'm not quite as eager for his demise as I used to be." He grimaced slightly, "Though I'm not the happiest about admitting it…"

"And the polygraph?" the pixie continued.

"Hey, if you check carefully, you'll notice I never actually lied. Every word out of my mouth was true. You just should have paid closer attention to what I actually _said_ rather than what you assumed I meant."

"You shouldn't have been able to do this, Norman," the anti-fairy remarked as Timmy started to realize why the genie was here. "The contract should have stopped you. That was the only reason we allowed you to attend."

"Funny thing about contracts, AC. They have fine print and loopholes. And if there is one thing a genie is great at, it's finding loopholes to exploit. Our whole wish-granting strategy is based on twisting what the words say to our advantage. Your contract is null and void now."

"The only way that you could have nullified the contract would be if there was a threat to your health or freedom caused by our actions," stated the Head Pixie. "I should know. I was very thorough."

Somehow the false grin on the genie's face became even more predatory as he moved around the room like a tiger circling its prey. The lack of shades meant Timmy could see how his gaze never left the trapped group.

"I know. Now, I'd already had in mind some nice and convoluted ways that harming the brat could theoretically be considered problematic to my well-being. I'd have to wait until he was actually in danger, but I could talk my way through that mess of legalese if necessary. We could have all parted ways mildly annoyed with each other, but more or less in the same condition as when we met. That would have been a fun way to spend my holiday, honestly. But you apparently decided you wanted to knock off Turner for good and do some collateral damage while you were at it."

The false cheerfulness was quickly pouring out of his voice, leaving a dangerous edge behind. Timmy felt his fairy god-family float a little closer together at the shift in tone. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the trapped figures wiggling slightly in an attempt to escape.

"And _that_ stupid decision is exactly why your little contract is _worthless_ , morons."

Having reached the corner of the room where Amanda was curled around her backpack, then genie's expression briefly softened as he scooped her up. It was a very familiar move to Timmy, though he'd never seen the genie perform such an act. The boy merely remembered his mom or dad doing the same thing when he was much younger and had a nightmare. The girl instantly wrapped one arm around the genie's neck and buried her face into his shoulder. For a moment, he seemed to mutter something in her ear before she nodded twice in response. Half-holding her and half-hugging her, Norm glared at the anti-fairies and pixies with enough force that Timmy wouldn't have been surprised if they spontaneously combusted.

"Congratulations. You nearly tossed my current master in your pathetic pit of lava. And since that would have resulted in me being forcibly returned to my lamp, that's a direct threat to my current freedom. Thus, no more contract and any level of pity I might have had for you just went up in flames."

Abruptly, the anti-fairies and pixies looked a little paler. And considering the fact that the normal skin tone of an anti-fairy was dark blue, it was odd seeing Anti-Cosmo looking more like a murky gray.

The monocle-wearing magical creature chuckled nervously, "I see. Terribly sorry, old chap. This was merely a misunderstanding. Perhaps we can talk this out and come to some sort of arrangement?"

All attempts at pretending to be in a good mood were gone. Furious and merciless Norm was on full display as he slowly floated back towards the center of the room. His voice was at a conversational volume, but the sensation of building magical power intensified. It felt like a lightning storm was building with Norm at the center of it. And all of them were within striking range.

"Genies aren't known for their generous and forgiving natures. We're not known as the best people to anger. I'm not one of those goody-goody, nice guys who go around saving cats in trees or defending the brainless from evil. I'm not ignorant or innocent of the whole 'collateral damage' thing. But you crossed a line, Snaggletooth. You and Major Monotone. You see, it isn't just the fact Amanda is my master and your little stunt would have left me stuck in a lamp again. I'd get over that in a century or two. But you tried to hurt someone I like. And that means me and you have a bit of a problem."

The fact he was holding a child should have made him less intimidating, but it didn't. The fact his anger was directed at someone other than Timmy should have made him less frightening, but it didn't. The fact that he technically saved the boy and those he cared about from a horrible fate should have made Timmy feel safer, but it didn't. Somehow, all those facts only made Norm scarier.

"I believe we may have made a grave miscalculation this time," stated HP, the previous hint of fear even easier for Timmy to notice in the usual monotone.

Norm nodded, "That's an understatement. Maybe you and your buddies are starting to think your little magic tricks make you invincible. Maybe you think you're actually powerful enough to withstand any obstacle. I think you're just a bunch of idiots who've forgotten exactly who you're dealing with. There is a _reason_ why genies spend most of the time locked up. And yes, we're famous for being tricky to deal with, but that because you don't want to deal with us when we're done playing around."

If Norm had been in a theatrical mood, Timmy suspected there would be a bolt of lightning and a crash of thunder at that moment. Or perhaps some pillars of flames in the background. A fairy or anti-fairy would certainly have taken advantage of such a moment. Even a pixie might have used a little magic to create a slide show. Instead, Norm merely kept speaking with a tone that contained barely-contained fury. It was enough for the boy to take an involuntary step back.

"We have no rules or real limitations on what wish we can grant. Do you have any idea what that means? Anything we want to do is possible as long as someone wishes for it. Da Rules, bad luck, and trying to achieve perfect order limits what you can do. Not a genie. And we have the raw magic power to back up that sort of limitless potential. I want you to imagine for a moment exactly what that means about the kind of wishes I've dealt with in the past. Not every master I've had was a saint. I've dealt with thieves, warriors, spies, murderers, psychopaths, and politicians. I've heard every warped idea they've ever considered to the point where I find _any_ wish practically predictable. Even with the amount of twisting I can do to a wish, I have to grant some rather distasteful desires at times. I can honestly say that I've granted some wishes that would give you nightmares. Me and morality parted ways a long time ago. I need you to consider what this all means for you. I need you to consider _exactly_ what it truly means when you've manage to make a genie, someone with enough magic to make you look like a second-rate stage magician and a history of granting wishes regardless of how unthinkable they might be ethically, completely _furious_ with you."

Timmy felt himself considering the possibilities against his will. There were no rules. And Norm was beyond mad with the anti-fairies and pixies. Anything was a possibility for him. He could kill them, regardless of how hard it was to actually kill a magical creature. He could rewrite the timeline so none of them ever existed. He could turn them into chunks of charcoal and trap them in the center of the Earth for a trillion years. The boy was instantly thankful he'd never managed to make the genie _this_ mad at him.

"The good news is that _I_ won't be the one deciding the fate of your entire species," Norm stated, the false cheerfulness returning to his voice. "No, that would limit how much magic I can use against you. Instead, I'm going to let the kid make a suggestion. _Anything_ she asks for me to do to you. Which means every anti-fairy and every pixie is about to have their punishment for this little stunt decided by the girl you decided to shove in a giant birdcage earlier. You better hope she's feeling merciful after that because I'm _definitely_ not."

With far more gentleness than anyone would expect after the sharpness of his previous words, the genie sat the girl down and turned her around to face the small group. Amanda glanced nervously between the trapped individuals, Norm, and Timmy as she carefully hugged her backpack tightly. After a moment, the genie placed his hand on her head and she relaxed slightly.

"Amanda, was it?" began Anti-Cosmo cautiously. "So dreadfully sorry about this. Maybe we can forget about this entire misadventure?"

"Poof poof," scolded the infant fairy, startling Timmy since he'd almost forgotten how many were actually present to witness the moment.

"You are far less articulate than my own son," muttered the anti-fairy before returning his attention back to the child deciding his punishment. "You seem like a reasonable, albeit quiet girl. Surely you do not intend to have two entire species of magical creatures suffer for one little mix-up."

"Wait, 'mix-up?" Timmy interrupted. "You tried to kill me, my fairies, and even Amanda just because she was at my house at the time. And the only reason you're sorry now is because you're afraid Norm plans to… vaporize you or something."

"Well, vaporizing _does_ sound interesting…" muttered the genie.

The Head Pixie stared at the anti-fairy, "I would appreciate it if you would remain silent and not give him further ideas of what to do to us."

"I don't want to vaporize anyone," Amanda interrupted. The girl then pulled the lava lamp out of her backpack and stared into the squishy pink center, "But I don't want you to go back to trying to attack Timmy. Or take over the world. Or destroy the world. I just want to make it stop."

"Then make the wish, kid," said Norm quietly. "You're smart. What do you truly and honestly want to happen?"

"I wish that the pixies and anti-fairies won't be able to try something like this again," she answered.

With a rather evil-looking grin spreading across his face, Norm stated, "Hey, that's just vague enough that I can totally twist it to my own purposes. Let's see what I can do about the world's pest problem."

The four trapped figures barely had time to look terrified (or bored in the case of the pixies) before Norm snapped his fingers. All the magical power that had been barely restrained before was unleashed with a _gong_. Timmy closed his eyes as the wave of magic washed over and past him. The sound seemed to echo long after the noise should have faded, but the boy didn't know if he even wanted to open his eyes.

"Uh, what happened? Everything looks the same," remarked Cosmo abruptly.

Timmy opened his eyes at his godfather's words to find that nothing was obviously different. Anti-Cosmo, Anti-Wanda, HP, and Sanderson were all still under the butterfly nets and confused. Timmy and his fairies were still perfectly fine. Amanda was looking at Norm expectantly while the genie looked smug.

"There was way too much magic for nothing to happen. What exactly did you just do?" asked Wanda, staring at the genie's suspiciously.

"Rewrote several defining laws of the universe," he replied casually, pulling his sunglasses out of his vest and perching them back on his face. "Why else would I need an actual wish rather than just handling things myself?"

"What did you do?" she repeated.

"Exactly what Amanda asked for. The anti-fairies and pixies aren't going to be able to do this again. _Ever_. Because none of them will ever be able to get out of their homes without help."

"What?"

Timmy wasn't certain where the shout came from. It could have been him, Anti-Cosmo, HP, his fairies, or a combination of several people. All he knew was that Norm met their shock with a very smug grin.

"I just moved Anti-Fairy World and Pixie Inc to their own separate pocket dimensions, along with every single anti-fairy and pixie except for these four. I'll send them there later. Furthermore, none of them can escape unless someone else takes them back to the main universe. Even then, they'll pop back to their new home after a few hours unless someone other than another anti-fairy or pixie uses magic to keep them there. We can get in and out anytime we want, but they're trapped. Earth, Fairy World, and any other location are off-limits to them and their magic."

Anti-Cosmo stared in silence for a moment before remarking, "And I thought we were evil, but you have just exceeded anything I might have dreamed of."

"What can I say? I know _exactly_ how unpleasant it is being stuck somewhere you don't want to be," Norm shrugged. "Plus, I doubt Amanda would be happy if I gave all of you a horrifyingly painful death. What can I say? She brings out the best in me. But while she's a nice and merciful person, I'm not always so forgiving and I have a long memory. So here's the deal. Stay on your best behavior, HP and AC. And someday I might come asking a favor. I don't know what yet, but we have plenty of time for me to come up with some ideas. You're going to fulfill that favor when I ask it, no matter what. Otherwise, I might decide to add some even more alterations to your punishment. Maybe even some fatal ones. Got it?"

"I should have known involving a genie would be nothing but trouble," the anti-fairy muttered.

"Merry Christmas to you too," smirked Norm before snapping his fingers again.

With a _gong_ , the dark and shadowy castle vanished around them and Timmy found himself back in his room once more. A quick glance at the clock revealed the time to be 11:58 PM, but he doubted his parents had ever noticed his absence. Especially if the robot replacement Anti-Cosmo created was even halfway believable. Instead, the boy focused completely on the genie.

"Wait, does this mean you actually tried to join them earlier so you could watch them dunk me in lava?" he asked.

"Whoa, relax there a moment, Turner. I bumped into that Anti-Wanda person when I was in a bad mood one day. She offered to let me watch you be tormented a little. Tormented, _not_ killed. I figured they'd enact an ill-conceived revenge plot, you'd be annoyed for five minutes, and then you'd win. It isn't like you're that easy to defeat, Captain Overbite. No one mentioned murder attempts when they made the offer. I do have lines I prefer not to cross, brat. There aren't _many_ lines and I don't always get much choice in crossing them, but they do exist. And killing helpless, though annoying, kids is something I prefer not to do. Granted, the whole 'send Turner to Mars' thing would be pushing it, but I would have sent you back to Earth before your head completely exploded. …At least, I probably would have. I don't know, you really did get on my nerves back then and you're not exactly helpless most of the time. But I'm getting distracted. I'm not that murderous towards you now, at least," stated the genie. "Besides, if I didn't take the offer, then who would have saved your life? It isn't like turning down the offer would have stopped their plan. You should be thanking me for wanting to watch your suffering."

As much as it annoyed the boy to admit it, Norm was right. They'd been trapped. The anti-fairies and pixies managed to out-think him and there was nothing Timmy could have done. All of them would have died. And the only reason they didn't was because of the genie that once tried to ruin his life.

"You're right. Thank you," said the boy slowly.

Norm opened his mouth to respond, but froze before he could start. There was a look of surprise as he apparently realized what Timmy actually said.

"Thank you for saving me and my god-family," he continued. "You could have just saved Amanda. But you didn't. Thank you, Norm."

Pushing the shades further up to hide his eyes, the genie muttered, "Well, you tried to bargain for her freedom. Even if it didn't work, thanks for at least trying to save her." He paused a moment, apparently glancing towards where the girl was standing with a small smile on her face, before adding firmly, "But don't think this means I like you, Turner. You're just less annoying than I originally thought."

"Hey, I'm not ready to start declaring us best friends either," Timmy replied, understanding their semi-friendly moment had passed. "I just think that this truce isn't the worst idea in the world anymore." Considering how terrifying the genie was earlier at the height of his temper, he added, "And I definitely think that not being on your bad side is safer."

Grinning smugly, he peered over his sunglasses, "You better remember that, Turner."

* * *

Midnight was drawing near and Jorgen Von Strangle, the toughest fairy in the universe, was trying to figure out what could have been causing all the magical chaos recently. Something major just happened, but he couldn't truly investigate until Christmas was over. He didn't know if it involved someone breaking Da Rules, but he had his suspicions. It was Christmas after all and chaotic events on the holiday were growing to be a familiar problem for him. And of course, there was _one_ child who was in the center of nearly any magical event of any real magnitude, which gave Jorgen a place to start looking.

Turner.

He was responsible for past Christmas trouble and magical trouble in general. It was like the boy lived to make the fairy's life difficult. So if something large-scaled, chaotic, and magical happened, Jorgen could almost guarantee that Turner would somehow be right in the middle of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, Amanda has used her second wish. And thus the entire anti-fairy species and the entire pixie species are trapped in their own worlds, barred from Earth, Fairy World, and anywhere else they might want to go. Remember, this is Norm being merciful for Amanda's sake. A furious, extremely-powerful entity with no limits and thousands of years of experience at imagining the worst case scenarios for any wish is not someone you want as your enemy. It could have been far worse. Of course, rewriting the laws of the universe on a wide scale, especially during a time period where the fairies aren't using any magic at all, is bound to catch someone's attention. And that someone is Jorgen Von Strangle. Even better, thanks to all his experience with the boy's past wishes, he knows Turner must be involved somehow.


	26. Toughest Fairy in the Universe

Amanda couldn't help smiling now that they were back in Timmy's room, safe and sound. She halfway listened to Timmy and Norm talk, but her mind was still going over recent events. She had a lot to think about.

She was a little disappointed in herself about how scared she was before. Almost everyone else at least tried to stand up to the anti-fairies and pixies, even if they didn't have a chance. She couldn't even say a word or move. Even when they threatened to hurt Timmy and his fairies, some of her few friends, she didn't do anything. She'd been too scared and confused to even try. She never wanted to feel and act that helpless again; she never wanted to let her friends down.

It was only after she was freed from the cage and could hold the lava lamp again that she calm down enough to properly react to her surroundings. Of course, Norm was there by that point. Once he was present, she'd felt better.

She knew Norm had been mad when he appeared in that shadowy room. Some would have even considered his expression and behavior to be scary. But she couldn't. When he picked her up, he'd quietly asked Amanda two important questions. No one else could have heard his words, but they were enough to banish the remaining fear of the situation and left her completely reassured that he'd take care of everything.

He'd whispered "Are you all right?" and "Do you trust me?"

And while she might have needed to think about the first question, she'd nodded to the second without a hint of hesitation. So while he threatened the anti-fairies and pixies with everything he was capable of doing to them and remarked about what he'd done in the past under the control of other masters, she didn't feel even slightly afraid. The genie held her close, protectively, and steadily even as he spoke in a dangerous tone to them. She couldn't remember the last time someone held her, _hugged_ her like that. As if she was the most precious thing in the world. It reminded her of the distant, faded memories of how her grandmother used to hold her before the girl grew too big for the older woman to carry. Perhaps it only made sense that his actions reminded her of Grandma; they both treated her like she mattered and they were both some of the most important people in her life.

She still felt bad that she didn't try to help Timmy and his fairies, but at least Norm fixed everything. She knew he would make everything all right. It might not always be fair to expect him to take care of all problems and dangers, but she was grateful for him.

"Hey, guess what?" announced Cosmo abruptly, peering out the window. "There's a robo-Timmy out there. He's a lot like you, Timmy. Only shinier."

"I guess we found Anti-Cosmo's decoy," the boy muttered. "What's he doing?"

"Well, he's out there with your mom and dad. He and your dad seem to be throwing black cats and toilet paper at the Dinkleburg's house while your mom watches." The fairy floated back over to his wife, "Do you think that's a new holiday tradition? Can we do that?"

Norm shrugged, "Whatever makes you wand-wavers happy. Just try to minimize the near-death experiences until after New Year's Eve." He glanced over at Amanda, "Come on, kid. It's getting late. Or early. Time to head back."

_**POOF!** _

A magical explosion of power, more like a boom than a poof, erupted in the middle of the room and sent everyone flying. Norm was tossed to the far side of the boy's bed, disappearing from view as he tumbled. The fairy family crashed against the nightstand, almost knocking their fishbowl to the ground. Timmy and Amanda ended up crashing against a wall, unharmed by the event. The girl spared a moment to ensure the lava lamp in her backpack was equally intact before turning her attention to the source of the disturbance.

Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, muscular figure. Wearing combat boots, camouflage pants, a sleeveless olive-green shirt, and a buzz cut for his white hair, he gave every impression of being part of the military or at least obsessed with giving orders while training the population into being an orderly fighting force. He looked like he could tie a boa constrictor in a knot and might even do it on the weekends for fun. The guy was built like a tank. The floating crown above his head and the long staff that Amanda didn't immediately recognize as a wand helped identify the new arrival as _not_ a random body builder.

He was a fairy. Granted, he was a giant fairy if she compared his height to Cosmo, Wanda, or Poof, but he was apparently the same sort of magical creature. Why they were so much smaller than the fairy that looked like he stepped out of an action movie like the one's Timmy showed her, Amanda couldn't guess. He looked tough, but he didn't scare her as much as the anti-fairies or pixies. He appeared strict, not evil.

The only real question was why he'd decided to show up in Timmy's room.

* * *

"Turner," the muscular fairy boomed, his focus completely locked on the boy.

A flash of nervousness at his arrival raced through Timmy. Jorgen was here. _Jorgen_ was here. Why was he here? After everything else that had gone wrong that day, having the toughest fairy in the universe show up wasn't fair. He quickly shoved those frightened thoughts aside. He hadn't broken Da Rules. He hadn't even ruined Christmas again. There was no reason to panic. Especially if he could keep him distracted enough not to notice Amanda's presence a short distance away and avoid a number of complicated explanations. He could do this.

"Jorgen," he greeted with what he hoped sounded like sincere friendliness, though the boy feared sounded too stilted to be natural. "Didn't expect to see you here. I don't suppose you popped by to spread holiday cheer, did you?"

"Not exactly," he answered. "I'm here because we detected something unusual. And if I've learned anything, I've learned that anything out of the ordinary will almost certainly have you in the middle of it. _Especially_ during the holidays."

"You can't blame Timmy for everything that goes wrong," complained Wanda, distracting Jorgen momentarily and allowing the boy to gesture at Amanda to hide in his closet. The brief frown of confusion from the girl suggested she didn't understand his silent message. The pink fairy continued, "You can't assume everything is his fault."

"Though his track record does kind of speak for itself," remarked Cosmo cheerfully.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose in a familiar gesture of frustration (anyone with prolonged exposure to the green-haired fairy knew the feeling), Jorgen explained, "Look there was a huge surge of magic being used when fairies shouldn't have been able to. Not to mention any pixie or anti-fairy we had in custody just vanished. I just found out that Foop disappeared from one of our most secure cells."

* * *

"At least we're all together," smiled Anti-Wanda as her husband and son alternated between trying vainly to escape their new permanent home, shouting blame and accusations at each other, and cursing all genies to a horrible and painful fate.

* * *

"All of this adds up to trouble and I don't want to deal with another mess you've made," Jorgen continued. "I don't know how much more damage Christmas can take if you've somehow managed to cause this."

Adopting the most innocent expression possible, Timmy said, "That's crazy. How could I cause a huge amount of magic on Christmas? As for Foop being missing, maybe you should go back to Fairy World and scramble the fairies. In Fairy World. Right now."

"I _do_ like scrambling the fairies…," he muttered before his eyes drifted in a direction Timmy had hoped they wouldn't.

His luck just wasn't with him apparently. It seemed her quiet nature and ability to fade into the background wasn't enough this time for Amanda to remain undetected. When Jorgen spotted the girl, his eyes darted from her to the cringing boy to the fairies in clear view and back to Amanda.

The muscular fairy rolled his eyes and groaned, "Seriously?"

"Jorgen, it's not what you think," began Timmy desperately, but the fairy was already going ahead with the standard operating procedure.

Slamming his massive wand against the ground, he boomed, "Timmy Turner, you have allowed your fairies to be seen. You know the consequences. I have no choice but to—"

A pillow smacked into Jorgen's face, interrupting both the formulaic speech pattern and Timmy's growing panic.

"You have no choice but to stop acting like a wand-waving moron," said Norm, floating back into view from behind the bed. "And honestly, for such a secretive bunch of freaks, I'd expect you to have enough common sense to not _explode_ when coming into a room. That sort of thing catches people's attention."

"What are you doing here?" Jorgen growled, apparently forgetting about Timmy for a moment.

"I came down the chimney. Ho ho ho," answered the genie in a flat tone. "If you don't like it, then leave. No one's stopping you, Jorgen Von Stupid."

"I suppose you're the one causing all this trouble and headache then?"

"That depends. If you mean the surge of magic, disappearing anti-fairies and pixies, and things like that, then yes. And the Fairy Idol mess where I pretty much played everyone like a fiddle. I don't know if you remember that incident since it ended with lots of memory erasing and restoring, but that was definitely me. Of course, that headache you mentioned might just be from the strain of actually having to think. After all, I'm pretty sure the Toothfairy didn't marry you for your brains."

Jorgen slammed his wand against the ground again, "Silence! I'll deal with you after I finish with the Turner problem."

"Wrong answer, Meathead," said Norm. "Wiping out the boy's memories isn't on the agenda for the day." He snapped his fingers, _gonging_ up a copy of Da Rules, "You only get to do the whole mind whammy thing when he grows up, gets too happy, or breaks Da Rules. Trust me, he's nowhere near too happy yet. Let alone something ridiculous like a _mature_ and _stable_ adult."

"Where did you get that?" the muscular fairy asked, eyes narrowing.

Timmy noticed his godfather gained a concerned expression briefly, but most of his attention was on the arguing pair. There was distaste and condescension on their faces, neither happy about the other magical creature's presence. If his fairies weren't on the line, the pink-hatted boy would have enjoyed the tenseness of Jorgen and Norm a little more. They could apparently really tick each other off when they tried. Of course, he'd also be annoyed at the insults from Norm, but the fact he was apparently trying to defend Timmy and his fairies meant the boy was willing to let it slide for now.

"I just picked it up somewhere," the genie shrugged. "I thought it would be funny to read it."

"Yes, because your entire species is amused by and disrespects the concept of rules."

"And yours strangles itself with too many. I'm surprised that the kids you guys follow around can make _any_ wishes. By the way, you need to work on your selection process because I find your 'most miserable child' hunting skills to be pathetic."

"I did not come here to be patronized by a filthy genie."

"Well, I didn't come here to be annoyed by an oversized, wand-waving, testosterone-fueled idiot, but that's apparently what happened," he snapped back, peering over the top of his sunglasses. "Look, just go back to that rainbow and pastel-colored cloud you call home. The anti-fairies and pixies aren't going to cause any trouble where they are and I already told you the magic you detected earlier was me. So get out of here. Let your wife look at your molars or something."

"And what about Turner?" Jorgen asked, glaring at the genie. "Look, I'm not happy about it, but he's broke Da Rules."

"Not really," stated Norm. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Jarhead, but he's not breaking any of your precious rules at the moment."

The muscular fairy gestured at Amanda, who was staring at the arguing pair with a small frown on her face. Norm gave a sharp chuckle in response.

"She's out of your jurisdiction, Sergeant Steroids. If you wanted any say about what happens with her, you should have given her one of your annoyingly-cheerful, wand-waving godparents. As it stands, she doesn't have anything to do with you. She rubbed my lamp, so she's mine. No mind whammy from you."

"While I intended to erase her memories too, that's not what we're talking about. Just because she has a genie doesn't mean Turner gets off the hook for revealing his godparents to her."

He took a step towards the boy, but the black-haired genie was already in Jorgen's face. Annoyance flashed across both their faces.

"Unless, of course, the kid's first wish would prevent you from punishing Turner about her finding out," stated Norm firmly. "And guess what? It does. She wished for a loophole for your rule, Buster. If you even try to erase the boy's memories and snatch his fairies away, I'll just undo it. We've had a long and annoying day and you've probably been busy hurting yourself trying to think. So drop the subject and go away."

"I will not take orders from a filthy, untrustworthy genie," growled Jorgen.

"Too bad," Norm smirked. "After all, the other option is for me to stick you under a butterfly net and hide you on a distant planet or something. And that's honestly sounding like a wonderful idea the longer I talk to you."

"And the longer I talk to you, the more I want to vaporize your lamp," said Jorgen, his wand glowing ominously.

Oddly, Timmy saw the genie flinched slightly at his word. Considering everything that the pair was growling at each other, the boy found it strange that only that sentence produced a reaction beyond annoyance. For just a second, he looked legitimately scared. Then the expression was masked behind another smug grin.

"Which you can't, Jarhead." Norm waved Da Rules in his hand around again, "Remember these? I've actually read this thing and I know that someone like you wouldn't even dare to try breaking Da Rules. So I guess you're stuck with my lovely suggestion of leaving. If you hurry now, maybe you'll avoid all the holiday traffic."

"I'm not leaving while there is some low-life, deceitful, dangerous, chaotic, filthy genie around. As much trouble as Turner causes, he doesn't deserve to deal with someone like you that lives to cause misery and suffering with their wishes."

"Leave him alone," a voice interrupted.

Both of the arguers blinked in surprise and looked down at where Amanda was apparently trying to kick Jorgen in his combat boots. The muscular fairy seemed more confused than anything by the child's attempt to attack him. Norm, on the other hand, still seemed to be in protective mode when it came to the girl and quickly snatched her up. Eyes never leaving the muscular fairy, he then set her behind Timmy.

"Kid, please don't antagonize the jumbo fairy," the genie muttered. "Just because I do something doesn't mean you should copy it."

"That's Jorgen Von Strangle," the boy explained, grabbing on to her shoulders. "He's the toughest fairy in the universe."

"I don't care," Amanda announced, struggling against his grip. "He can't talk about Norm like that. He's done bad things in the past, but I don't care. He's my friend and you can't be mean to him. I made the wish so I didn't accidentally make kids lose their fairies. It was my idea, so don't get mad at Timmy or Norm. Leave them alone. They aren't hurting anyone."

There was a moment of silence before the genie quietly asked in a stunned tone, "Am I _really_ being defended by an eight year old?"

"She stood up to Crocker to help hide us," Wanda muttered back.

The girl was still glaring at Jorgen. Timmy almost wanted to laugh. There was something strangely amusing about the shy and quiet girl glaring at someone, especially someone so much larger and more powerful than her. The terror from earlier in the day was completely gone. As far as she was apparently concerned, Jorgen insulting Norm was bad enough that she had to charge in to protect him. Timmy felt he should say something to calm things down, but he wasn't exactly eager to draw attention to himself while the possibility of losing his fairies still remained.

"If you're supposed to make sure people don't break the rules and everything, why are you so worried about Norm being here?" the girl continued, her eyes still locked on the tall fairy rather than dropping to the ground like normal. "He's not a fairy. He's a genie and they don't have any rules. I made the wish, so no one here needs to lose their memories or their god-family. Everything is all right, so stop being angry with everyone. You don't have to fix anything. And you don't need to be mean to my friends."

"Relax, kid," urged Norm, placing a hand on her head. She instantly stopped her attempts to get back to Jorgen and kick him. "I think you made your point already. I appreciate the gesture, but I think a barking Chihuahua would be more threatening to the guy at this point."

"Poof poof," the fairy infant said.

"Right, we forgot introductions," grinned Cosmo cheerfully. "I think everyone knows Jorgen. He enforces Da Rules." The green-haired fairy then gestured towards the girl, "And this is Amanda Adams. She's the nice girl who wished all the anti-fairies and pixies away."

This statement made the already-confused Jorgen blink. Norm groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look, the pointy-headed freaks and the doom squad snatched up the kids, made some threatening gestures, and ended up trapped in their own pocket dimensions for their trouble," the genie explained quickly. "They really ticked me off, so they're going to spend the rest of eternity away from everyone else. Got it?"

"Poof poof poof," mumbled Poof.

"I was not _that_ scary," argued Norm before realization set in and he smacked his forehead. "Great, I speak baby now."

"I won't tell anyone about fairies," Amanda mumbled, her eyes finally dropping to the ground. "I promise. I won't tell anyone about fairies, anti-fairies, pixies, or even genies. I'll be good. I won't cause trouble or mess anything up. I'm sor—"

"Kid, if you say that you're sorry, I swear I'll drop a bucket of water on you," interrupted Norm. "You've done nothing wrong. The blockhead over there is just a little trigger-happy with his memory-wiping. Got it?"

There was a brief hesitation, but then Amanda nodded. Timmy glanced briefly at Jorgen to see how the fairy was reacting to the situation. He seemed to be staring at the genie and the girl with an odd mixture of surprise, understanding, bemusement, and… maybe a little pity.

"Very well, Adams," the muscular fairy said. "I'm going to trust your word. Do not make me regret it."

"I won't, sir," she said promptly.

"Genie, try not to cause any more disturbances," he continued. "And I don't exactly trust you or your kind."

"Don't worry, the feeling's mutual," Norm interrupted.

He said, "But that doesn't mean I don't recognize what is going on here."

The genie crossed his arms, "Nothing is going on, Jarhead."

"Please, I deal with children and their godparents on a regular basis. You're fooling no one."

Timmy, recognizing the fact that he was out of danger in regards to memory erasing, said, "He's right, Norm. Even an idiot can see you like Amanda. Not to mention she just yelled at Jorgen, which pretty much proves she likes you too."

"Just be careful, genie," Jorgen warned before slamming his wand on the ground.

With another thunderous _poof_ , the huge fairy vanished.

* * *

Jorgen Von Strangle already knew that there were more headaches in his future. Turner spending prolonged time around a genie could only lead to trouble. The boy caused enough problems when he was bound by Da Rules. Adding a rule-free genie to the mix could only lead to disaster.

The only positive thing about the encounter was that the genie was apparently attached to the young girl, Adams. Jorgen had to respect the child. Not many kids were brave enough to attack him in defense of their friends, even if she merely kicked him in the boots. And while he didn't trust genies in general since they were a chaotic and dangerous group who seemed to be the happiest when tormenting someone, he could recognize a certain amount of honest affection between the pair. The child would rein in the genie at least a little.

He was, however, concerned about the future. Based on how determined the genie was to prevent any form of memory erasing, he probably intended to keep the child around as long as possible. Hopefully, she would make a third wish eventually and send him back to the lamp. It would be easier for both of them.

After all, there was a reason why fairies left their godchildren and erased their memories. It removed temptation and ensured everyone could move on with their lives. And it was also why he worried about how long Turner had managed to keep his fairies. By the now, they were all firmly attached to each other and it would be painful for all of them when it came time to say good-bye as the boy grew up. The only thing worse would be if they remained together after Turner became an adult and continued to age.

Humans were mortal. Children grew up and aged far more rapidly than fairies and other magical creatures. Kids lost their memories of magic and godparents were shuffled off to a new child as quickly as possible because the alternative was far worse. It was easier for everyone this way: give the child a happy childhood, even if the memories of specifics were taken away, and then leave long before they could succumb to the effects of time.

He didn't like or trust the genie, but Jorgen hoped he was wise enough to leave the girl before that point. Before she could grow up, have children of her own, become a grandmother, and eventually slip away.

"Jorgen, dear," Toothfairy called from the other room, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Did you get everything sorted out?"

"Yes," he said back before adopting a smile. "I'm home for the rest of the weekend."

* * *

"And with that particular bit of annoyance dealt with, I'm ready to crawl back to bed and sleep for the rest of the month," muttered Norm.

"Wait, I have one quick question," Turner interrupted before the genie could snap his fingers.

Fighting back the urge to groan, he closed his eyes. It had been a long day. He was tired. He'd had to banish two entire species to pocket dimensions. And that was after being infuriated by the idea that someone would _dare_ to harm Amanda. Then, he had to deal with the strongest fairy in the universe being an idiot. He wanted to go back to his lava lamp and sleep, comforted by the knowledge that his master was safe and sound. He wanted to tell Turner to jump off a cliff and leave him alone, but the boy had earned a sliver of his respect by trying to defend the girl. It wouldn't kill him to answer one quick question.

"Fine," Norm grumbled. "Then I'm going to sleep. And the kid is going home. Her parents won't notice she's out at this hour, but she's going to feel like a zombie in the morning if she doesn't get any rest."

"What were you afraid of?" he asked. "When Jorgen said something about your lamp and you said it was against Da Rules. You were afraid of something. What?"

The genie silently cursed the thick-headed fairy while he shoved his shades further up his face. Any other day, he would have hid his reaction better than that. In his defense, it had been a _very_ long day and anyone would have slipped up. But that didn't mean he was happy about it. Maybe he could erase everyone's memories about it…

"Norm?" said Amanda, glancing up at him with concern.

And with that, he knew he'd have to go ahead and talk. He didn't want to mess with the girl's mind and she wouldn't let the topic drop. He could already see her starting to worry about him. It would be simpler to answer the question.

"I guess it's time for Genies 101, everyone," he said tiredly. Giving Turner a stern look, he warned, "If you even think about trying to use this against me, I'll devote every moment of my spare time to make you suffer in ways you can't even imagine. Got it?"

The boy nodded his head quickly and gained a wide-eyed expression. Apparently Norm's earlier display when dealing with the anti-fairies and pixies left an impression on the pink-hatted kid. That could be useful to remember.

Sighing quietly, Norm asked, "Do you know where fairies get their magic?"

"The Big Wand in Fairy World," Timmy answered quickly.

"And what happens if a fairy loses their magic for some reason?"

"They can't grant wishes."

"And?" the genie prompted.

"And if it's bad enough, they stop floating and sort of end up like midget humans usually."

"Now keep that in mind. Fairies, while they need magic most of the time to do anything useful, can survive without it," he said. "Now, you've probably guessed that genies don't have a giant wand sitting around in Genie World or anything like that. Mostly because there's no such place as Genie World unless you count that tiny little town in Kansas where like three freed genies decided to stay. That's as close to us having a world as we get. Anyway, we don't have a big wand to provide us with magic for wish granting."

"So does it come from your lamps?" asked Amanda.

Grinning at her answer, Norm nodded, "Exactly. The kid has it exactly right. All our magic comes from the bottles and lamps we're trapped inside. Nice, right? The thing imprisoning us is also the source of our power. Got to love the irony."

"If your lamp is your power source, then why are you obsessed with escaping it?" Turner asked.

"Simple. One of the main reasons is that we are stuck in a knickknack for decades or centuries at a time. Who wouldn't want out? And if we're freed, we get to be our own magic source. Granted, we don't get as much magic to use that way, but we still get our freedom."

"And the second reason?" he asked.

Norm grimaced, "Because it's safer that way for us."

"Safer how?"

"Just safer in general."

"So Jorgen grumbling about vaporizing your lamp would just take away your magic? How's that against Da Rules?" asked Turner. "I mean, it isn't exactly nice, but I don't remember any rules against that."

"In case you haven't noticed, genies are a _little_ more directly dependent on magic than the wand-wavers are. After all, you don't see that many humans, midget or otherwise, wandering around without legs," he said, trying to decide how to explain it. "Look, here's a nice little example. Imagine a bubble bath. You have a tub filled with water and lots of bubbles floating on top."

"Is there a rubber ducky?" asked Cosmo excitedly. "Is there? Is there?"

Ignoring the green-haired fairy, Norm continued, "Let's say that the tub is a lamp and the water it contains is magic. Which means the bubbles would be the genie. The bubbles are stuck in the tub with the water just like a genie is stuck with his or her lamp. Got it so far?"

Both Turner and Amanda nodded. Wanda seemed to have a rather serious expression on her face, which Norm took to mean that she knew where he was going with his explanation. Cosmo, on the other hand, was busy with the rubber duck he'd _poofed_ up to play with and Poof was falling asleep where he was floating.

"Now, let's pretend for just a moment that someone decided to destroy a genie's lamp and could actually gather up the power to do so. Destroying a genie lamp isn't exactly easy. It would take lots of magic, huge amounts of force, or intense heat," Norm said slowly. "That would be like draining all the water out of the tub." He paused for a moment before asking, "What would happen to the bubbles once all the water drained away?"

There was a length of silence as his question apparently sank in. He could see the exact moment when the kids realized what he was saying. The expressions on their faces made it perfectly clear.

"They'd pop," Amanda whispered.

He nodded, "Exactly. Fairies can survive without magic. Genies… not so much. Taking out their lamp or bottle is a pretty sure way to take out a genie. And since Da Rules prevent fairies from using their magic for more lethal wishes…"

"I get the picture," said Turner. "Sorry I asked."

"You can see why we don't exactly spread it around. And that's another reason why being freed from our lamps is such a common goal. It cuts off that tie and we don't have to worry about someone tossing our source of magic into a volcano or something." Plastering a smirk on his face, Norm continued, "And on that cheery note, I think it is past time for everyone to get some sleep. I've seen enough of all of you for quite some time."

He quickly snapped his fingers, transporting himself and Amanda out of there with a _gong_. They reappeared in the girl's bedroom. Happy to finally see the end of the insanely long day, the genie turned towards his lava lamp.

"Norm," Amanda said quietly, causing him to pause.

He glanced at her, trying not to feel _so_ relieved that she was safe. He tried not to imagine what would have happened if he didn't meet Anti-Wanda in Canada and if he hadn't been invited along. Worrying about what could have been was a waste of time. She was safe. That was all that mattered.

"I… made my second wish," she continued.

Realizing exactly what she was thinking, Norm held up a hand to warn her to pause, "Kid, today's been too long already. Can we talk about it in the morning?"

Hesitating briefly, the girl slowly gave a nod. Smiling at her for a moment, he patted her head and then headed into his lava lamp to finally get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jorgen isn't the bad guy. He's sometimes working against the protagonists and he sometimes makes stupid decisions, but he isn't a bad guy like the anti-fairies and pixies. He's not fond of genies because of their reputation and general behavior, but he's not evil or anything like that.


	27. Requesting More Wishes

He couldn't sleep. Elmer's mind was far too busy as he rested his head on his pillow. And where his thoughts ended, Bob's whispers began. The red-haired boy couldn't help feeling like he was losing his friend.

Yes, he got to see Sanjay that day. They even went sledding like normal. But the entire time they were out on Christmas Day, Sanjay kept bringing up Trixie. He talked about what he got her for the holiday and how she bought him a nice gift in return. Sanjay barely mentioned the new model airplane Elmer bought him. He felt so left out.

" _I_ would never leave you out," Bob said. "Even when I take over the world, I shall remain at your side."

"You don't have a choice," the boy muttered before burying his face under his pillow.

"Details," responded the boil. "Surely the future ruler of the planet is a far better companion than Sanjay?"

"Please stop putting your thoughts into my brain at four o'clock in the morning."

"…How about at 4:01?"

* * *

He couldn't sleep. At least, he couldn't sleep well. Norm was certain he dozed off a little around five in the morning, but even that didn't last long. There was simply too much for him to think about for rest to come easily, regardless of how tired he felt. Not even imagining all the pixies and anti-fairies making a futile effort to escape their new prisons could lull him to sleep because it would inevitably remind him of how scared Amanda was and how easily she could have been hurt. And of course those thoughts were anything but soothing. Even if it was in the past and worrying about it now was pointless, his subconscious didn't like remembering.

So he remained sprawled in his hammock, watching the goop of his lava lamp morph and change while his thoughts drifted towards various topics. The problem with the anti-fairies and pixies was solved unless some idiot made a lot of effort to pull them out. He'd even managed to add on the condition about a favor from them in the future. After all, they owed him a lot since he didn't vaporize the little idiots. He'd also managed to handle Jorgen popping up at the worst possible time. Turner better appreciate it since the genie really didn't like dealing with that much stupidity in one day. Though he had to admit watching Amanda stand up to the muscular fairy was somehow amusing and nice at the same time. His little master was slowly growing a spine. Now if only she would think to use it to stand up for herself against her parents (who were going to remain flu-stricken for a little longer if Norm had anything to say about it).

He wasn't, however, happy with the fact he'd shared one of the big genie weaknesses with someone who not that long ago was considered an enemy. Not a particularly vindictive or aggressive enemy, but one none the less. Even if he considered things pretty much even with Turner for the moment, he really wasn't happy about letting him know the whole "destroy the lamp, destroy the genie" thing. Not that he believed the boy would use that knowledge against him. The kid could be a pain in the neck, but he wasn't murderous. What he really didn't want was the looks of pity he was almost certain to get now. Not to mention that the green-haired idiot could possibly decide to blab that information to everyone he meets, which wasn't necessarily a good thing for the general genie population. On the other hand, who would actually believe the moron? And what were the chances the green-haired wand-waver would actually remember the conversation? His wife, sure. But him? Probably not.

Then there was the topic of Amanda making her second wish. He knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. It was the exact same thing she wanted to do the moment Turner spilled the beans concerning his less-than-noble past. She wanted to use her third wish for his freedom. And again, temptation was strong. Honestly, it made sense to go ahead with it. She wanted him to be free. _He_ wanted to be free. And now that she knew about how the connection to his lamp could affect him (even if actually destroying a genie's lamp or bottle was pretty hard), she would be even more motivated to set him free. He should be jumping at the chance.

And yet, part of him wasn't quite ready to let her do it. Stuffing the anti-fairies and pixies into their own little pocket dimensions and essentially rewriting the universe so they couldn't escape took a lot of magic, far more than he'd be able to use without someone wishing for it. Giving up access to that much power was a high price to pay, but it was certainly something he was willing to do for freedom. But it wasn't smart to surrender a large chunk of his magic while Amanda was still hanging around Turner. The boy was a magnet for trouble and there was no predicting if or when the genie would have to step in to fix things again so his master didn't end up… being turned into lime jell-o or something. Having the girl wait to free him was just the smart thing to do. After all, she would certainly free him someday. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind about that fact. But there was no need to hurry something like that quite yet. He'd waited thousands of years already. Waiting just a little longer wouldn't kill anyone.

Taking a moment to see what was going on outside his lava lamp, Norm noticed that the girl was already awake and moving around her room. Slipping his shades back on his face, the genie prepared himself for the upcoming conversation.

* * *

She had to free him. Amanda knew that without a shadow of a doubt. It was time to make her final wish. After all, she'd already used two wishes and there was no point in waiting since she knew there was only one possible wish she could make now. Besides, if something happened to his lava lamp…

The girl hugged Teddy close to her. She couldn't even think about something horrible happening to Norm because of her. And if she didn't free him from the lamp, then that would always be a possibility. She needed to make sure he was safe. Anyway, it wasn't the end of the world if she used her third wish to free him immediately. As strange as it might seem sometimes, he liked her and he'd probably still be around sometimes even if she freed him. That was what he said the last time they talked about freeing him. So she should go ahead and make the third wish.

_Gong!_

Almost as if summoned by her thoughts, the genie appeared in her room. He appeared to be holding a bag of muffins. He popped one into his mouth before offering another to the girl. She took the treat, but didn't immediately start eating.

"Shouldn't I make my third wish now?" she asked.

"You could," he said slowly. "Or you could eat your breakfast. I vote for the food option. It isn't like we had dinner last night."

"But what about your freedom?"

"Later," said the genie. "I'm not in any hurry. You'll get to it eventually, so why worry about it?"

"Because I only have one wish left," the girl said, frowning with confusion. "Why should I wait?"

"Simple. There are two very good reasons why you should wait, kid," answered Norm, peering over the top of his shades. "One, I like having access to my full magical potential while having the freedom to do whatever I want. And as long as you're my master, I get both. I'm out of my lamp and I can do anything I decide to do. So why would I be in a huge hurry to be freed this time?"

Amanda adjusted her grip on Teddy and reminded, "Because you said if something bad happens to our lava lamp, you'll be…"

"News flash, kid," he interrupted. "Genie lamps aren't actually that fragile. You have to put a lot of effort into breaking them. You could run them over with a monster truck without leaving a scratch on them. That's not really an issue you need to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, if they were actually that easy to destroy, someone would have smashed my lamp to pieces by now."

That thought wasn't nearly as comforting to her as the genie might think. She didn't like the idea of anyone wanting to hurt her friend, even if she knew that he wasn't always that nice in the past. She hated the idea of people purposefully trying to get rid of Norm.

"And what is the second reason?" she asked.

"Simple," answered the genie. "You don't have to be out of wishes yet, kid."

She blinked in confusion, "What?"

"You heard me. There are plenty more wishes you could pick before we get to the whole 'free the handsome genie from the lava lamp' thing."

"But I thought I only got three rule-free wishes. And the third one is for you."

Norm chuckled slightly, "Yeah, here's the thing. You know that standard 'no wishing for more wishes' thing everyone talks about? Completely fake." He leaned back as he floated in midair, honestly amused by what he was saying. "Everyone assumes they can't ask for more and we generally encourage that idea. But when I say we grant rule-free wishes, we mean it. You could wish for as many wishes as you want. We've just been bluffing about that limitation for thousands of years."

"Really?"

"Yep, completely bluffing. Crackpot Crocker knows the truth. Actually, I probably owe him a couple of wishes still, but between the thing with Turner and Mars… it kind of got postponed and shoved aside for the moment. It got a little complicated when the boy started wishing in the middle of the crazy guy's wishing spree, but that's beside the point." Pulling off his sunglasses momentarily and studying them, he said offhandedly, "You don't have to use your third wish to set me free right this second. I'm perfectly fine at the moment how things are. I know you aren't going to trap me in the lamp for a few decades, so what's the rush? Wish for a dozen more wishes. You have my complete and utter approval to go ahead with it."

"I don't know…"

"Well, I do. None of your wishes so far have been for yourself. They haven't been for anything you want or need. So I think it is only fair that if you insist on spreading all sorts of good things to the rest of the undeserving world, you should get a few more chances at wishing."

Amanda stared up at him. He really didn't want her to wish him free yet. He wanted freedom; that much was clear. But he wanted her to wait. He wanted her to use more wishes. She remembered when they first met, when he was practically begging her to make a wish and she just couldn't do it. Of course, neither of them knew each other very well. And he'd just wanted to get finished with yet another human as quickly as possible. But things were different now. Now he wanted her to make wishes because he wanted her to be happy, not because he could mess with her. But didn't he know she was already happy simply because she was lucky enough to have friends?

"And if it still bothers you," continued Norm, "you could always just consider it as a semi-late Christmas present."

Well, when he put it that way, how could she refuse? She went to the trouble of giving everyone important to her gifts. She couldn't deny him the chance to do something similar. But if she was going to wish for more wishes and delay his freedom, she was going to make sure to use them correctly.

"If you're really sure you want me to do this…"

"I'm sure, kid," he assured. "And don't just go for two or three more wishes. Maybe if you ask for like ten or twelve, you'll actually use one for yourself."

"Okay," she nodded, picking up the lava lamp. "Then if you're really sure about this, I guess that I wish for a dozen more wishes."

"You got it, kid," he smirked, snapping his fingers with a _gong_.

"And my first wish out of the dozen is that I wish that _you_ get a wish, Norm," she said quickly before he could talk her out of it.

The request was met with stunned silence as the genie stared at her. Amanda was almost afraid that she did something wrong, but the idea seemed like a good idea to her. If he had to grant wishes, then he deserved to have one that he could use himself. She wanted him to have a wish for himself that he could use any way that he might want. Plus, if she wasn't able to wish him free for some reason, he could use it to free himself. It gave him a backup plan. It seemed like such an good idea to her.

"Are you even allowed to _do_ that?" he finally said slowly.

"Rule-free wishes," Amanda said quietly. "Remember?"

That sparked off some laughter from the genie. The startled and amused sound was enough to make the girl chuckle a little and relax. She watched Norm laugh for a couple of minutes before he could manage to talk again.

"I guess you're right, kid. I still can't believe how you can keep surprising me. You're definitely one of a kind, Amanda." Then he frowned a moment, "I'm just not really sure _how_ I'm supposed to grant that wish. No one's ever tried to use a wish to give one to someone else, let alone give one to the genie granting the wishes. Give me a minute to figure this out."

Amanda waited patiently as he floated there, stroking his goatee for a little while. He looked very thoughtful as he peered over his shades at her. Considering that he'd mentioned several times that he'd heard just about every single wish before, it was kind of nice to actually surprise him.

"Okay… I might have an idea of how to do this," he muttered. "Let's see…"

Cautiously, he snapped his fingers. There was a familiar _gong_ and a cloud of teal smoke, and then she saw that he was holding something. It was just a few inches long and teal. Amanda didn't immediately recognize it, but it seemed familiar.

"A birthday candle," he chuckled. "Perfect."

"Huh?"

"Basically I stored the wish as a birthday candle," explained the genie. "You know how you're supposed to blow the candles out on a birthday cake and make a wish?" It took her a moment to remember since she hadn't had a birthday cake in years, but Amanda nodded. "Well, this is the same principle. If I want to use the wish, all I have to do is blow out the candle. Simple."

She could tell from the grin on his face that he was rather proud of his solution. Amanda did think it was pretty ingenious. He could just store the wish for later as a small and easily used object.

"I'm glad it'll work," she said.

"Good," said the genie. "But that doesn't mean you get to use the rest of the wishes for other people. If you don't use one of those wishes for yourself, I'll turn your hair blue in the middle of the night."

She couldn't help giggling at his (over-the-top) threat. He didn't mean it, but the image was rather amusing.

"It'll look good with my bow," she said.

He chuckled, "It would."

* * *

"What have we determined so far?" the Head Pixie asked.

Every pixie around the table looked mildly regretful. They had explored every inch of Pixie Inc., searching for a weak spot that they could _ping_ out of the pocket reality. The entire process was performed in a logical and organized fashion. The results of their investigations were submitted in triplicate. Even now Sanderson was reviewing the paperwork and summarizing the reports.

Still, he wanted to hear the verbal report while waiting. Perhaps he could learn something that wouldn't fit into the submitted forms. Something that proved that the genie's attempt to trap them and isolate them from everyone was not as effective as he had believed.

"We cannot leave," one of the pixies confirmed. "There is no way out."

There was silence for several moments as they accepted the fact that they were indeed unable to leave their home. Any plans for a hostile takeover of Fairy World or to convert the Earth to their preferences were now useless.

"I believe this quarter will be far less profitable," another pixie said dully.

* * *

"Now I'll never be able to destroy that annoyance, Poof," shouted Foop before leaving the room in a huff.

Anti-Cosmo could feel a headache forming. None of the anti-fairies could escape Anti-Fairy World. The genie managed to move their entire home world to a pocket reality. An inescapable pocket reality that cut them off from the rest of the universe. It was exactly as he told them. It was worse than being imprisoned by the Neanderthal-like Jorgen. And as annoying as it might be to be trapped, it was worse dealing with his son throwing a temper tantrum and declaring how it was all his father's fault.

Technically, it was Anti-Wanda's fault for inviting the genie in the first place. But it wouldn't make things any better to have the young anti-fairy yelling at his mother instead. Not to mention Anti-Wanda wouldn't understand why he was mad at her. She barely seemed to realize that being stuck in Anti-Fairy World was a bad thing. Anti-Cosmo loved his wife, but she really wasn't the quickest on the draw.

Of course, ignorance could be bliss. She wasn't the one with a growing headache from the situation. She was the one trying to spot the bright side about the situation.

He, on the other hand, was left with the headache of annoyance and futile plotting against the genie.

* * *

Chinese food and a game of chess: the perfect after-Christmas activity in his opinion. Norm floated there lazily as he watched Amanda make her next move with her new chess set. Every now and then, she would take a bite of the fried rice. He'd already eaten all the egg rolls. Compared to the insanity of the day before, everything was perfect.

"You're definitely getting better with the chopsticks, kid," he remarked before sliding a pawn forward. "The first time we tried this, I think you dropped more food than you managed to get into your mouth."

"I wasn't that bad," she said. "Was I?"

He hesitated a moment for effect before shrugging, "I've seen worse. I'll bet Turner made a huge mess the first time he tried using chopsticks. Unless he cheated and wished for awesome chopstick skills."

Moving her knight to capture his pawn, Amanda asked, "Do you really think he'd do that?"

"Yeah," he answered without hesitation. "He's got an unlimited supply of wishes, fairies need to grant wishes on a regular basis, and Turner has an impulsive personality with a short attention span. I'd be more surprised if he _didn't_ make that wish at some point."

"But it seems kind of… silly," she said before eating a piece of sweet-and-sour chicken. "I mean, why wish for something you can do with practice?"

"Laziness?" the genie suggested. "Or maybe he was in a hurry. As much as it pains me to admit it, Turner isn't the worst human being on the planet. But he's still a kid with an unlimited number of wishes. You've probably seen him make tons of wishes by now."

The girl nodded, "But mostly when he's trying to have fun with me. Not for something silly like learning how to use chopsticks."

Moving his rook across the board, Norm said, "I'm just basing my guess off of what I've seen in the past. One of the wishes he asked from me was for breakfast. That isn't exactly an indication of thoughtful and careful wishing. Of course, apparently he can also do something I wouldn't expect. Maybe he spends some of his wishes on smart and considerate ideas. I don't know."

"Maybe I should ask him sometime what his favorite wish was," she said quietly.

"Couldn't hurt. Maybe it'll give you some ideas about what you want for your next eleven wishes."

Amanda was quiet for a few minutes, eating a little rice and moving her queen to capture his knight. As the genie began to wonder if he should start poking her to get a response, she glanced up at him.

"That's a lot of wishes, Norm. How can someone need so many? I should have picked a smaller number."

"Come on, kid. Plenty of people use more wishes than that in a _day_. Just ask your buddy, Turner. I wouldn't be surprised if he uses a dozen wishes before breakfast. He and the other kids with fairy godparents somehow manage. I'm sure you can figure it out too. And unlike those kids, you might actually be able to keep the stuff after you grow up. Turner isn't going to get that privilege."

"That's right… You said they lose their fairies, their memories, and their wishes when they grow up…"

Norm didn't like that thoughtful expression on the girl's face. It was similar to the look she got right before making her first wish. He knew that if she followed that train of thought too far, she would start getting ideas again. She might get ideas that would lead to him rewriting magical laws and rearranging the universe. And while that could be entertaining, it would definitely interrupt his pleasant afternoon of Chinese food and chess.

"Your move," he said quickly as he moved his remaining knight towards her rook.

"Okay," she responded, shifting her piece to a safer spot. After a few more turns, Amanda asked, "Do you remember what our fortune cookies said the first time we had Chinese?"

"Nope."

"I do. Mine said something about how 'courage is choosing the right path even in the face of adversity.' And yours was 'Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance.' Do you remember?"

"Vaguely. What about it, kid?"

"I think we got the wrong cookies last time. I think they were mixed up. I got you in trouble with Timmy because I didn't know you and him didn't like each other. And you turned down your freedom, _twice_ , because you thought it was the right thing to do."

Closing his eyes briefly, the genie said, "Okay, there are a few problems with your theory. First, fortune cookies don't actually have any future-predicting powers. I already told you that. Two, even if they _did_ work, the things are so vague that they could mean anything. The courage thing could have been about you standing up against Jorgen Von Jarhead and the ignorance thing could have been about me not knowing the anti-fairies and pixies were planning something a bit more vicious than usual. Or they could refer to things that still haven't happened yet." He took a moment to move another pawn and said, "But mostly the fact they're just entertainment is what messes up your theory."

"Okay…" She glanced down at the food, "Do you at least want to know what these say?"

"Sure, kid. I could use a good laugh."

Amanda crunched hers open and solemnly read, "'Not every action will turn out smoothly, but in the darkness is the light'. What does that mean?"

"It means that even when you do something that seems to make a big mess of the situation, there's still hope. The people who make fortune cookies love to be optimistic."

"Here's yours," she said, handing him the small treat.

"Sure, let's see if this thing predicts me getting a date this week," shrugged Norm, crushing the cookie in his grip.

Not expecting anything interesting, the genie glanced down at his little slip of paper.

 _Your past actions will come back to haunt you in unexpected ways_.

"What does it say?" the girl asked eagerly.

"It says 'You will live long and enjoy life'," he lied carefully, not wanting to concern Amanda if she decided that these new fortune cookies meant something.

He didn't like lying to the kid, but he also didn't want her to worry about a prediction from a dessert. There was absolutely no reason to. The things were just entertainment. Only gullible people believed them. People just made up the fortunes. There was no reason why he should worry her over nothing.

"That sounds nice," she said.

He nodded, "Yep. Sounds good to me."


	28. Poof Protection and Costumes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter...

So many wishes. It felt a little overwhelming to consider. Amanda had enough trouble figuring out a couple of wishes and now she had lots. She honestly didn't need that many, but Norm wanted her to have them. So she should probably figure out how to use them.

Wishing for herself was hard. She couldn't quite do it. That was probably why it took months to start wishing in the first place. But she could wish for others. Thinking of ways to help or protect others was so much simpler for her. She didn't need anything at the moment, but sometimes her friends did.

Anyway, she wasn't the best when it came to wishing. So Amanda decided to go consult an expert. After she finished cleaning the house for her parents (who were still feeling kind of sick), the girl placed the lava lamp in her backpack and headed over to the Turner household.

When Timmy led her to his room, the first words out of his mouth were, "Are you doing okay, Amanda?"

She nodded, "I'm fine. Are you and your god-family all right?"

"We're fine," said Wanda as the fairies _poofed_ out of the fishbowl. "And before you ask, Jorgen hasn't been back since you talked to him."

"Good," she stated, crossing her arms.

She knew he was just trying to do his job. And she knew Norm did some bad things in the past. But the girl also knew that she didn't like people being mean to her friends. Jorgen had scared Timmy and his fairies by talking about separating them and he'd said really mean things about genies. Yes, Norm insulted him back. But she still wouldn't let anyone do something mean to her friends.

"So, I have to ask," said Timmy slowly. "You've used two of your wishes now. What are you going to do now that you only have one left?"

As Amanda opened her mouth to respond, there was a loud _gong_ and a plume of smoke from her backpack. When she turned around, the girl spotted Norm lounging in midair while flicking through a magazine.

"Actually, she's got about eleven wishes left," he commented casually. "She used her last wish to basically wish for a bunch more."

"She can't do that," frowned Timmy before glancing at his fairies. "Can she? I mean, it never works in the movies."

Sounding extremely smug, Norm remarked, "Since when have movies ever been accurate?"

"But television has all the answers," shouted Cosmo. "Is _everything_ I know a _lie_?"

"Probably," the genie shrugged.

"I thought the three wish limit was kind of an important part of the deal when it came to you guys," said Timmy. "It was in the first part of your song. Wouldn't wishing for more of them be cheating?"

"What part of ' _rule-free_ wishes' is a hard concept, boy?" he asked, still flipping through the magazine. "The whole 'no wishing for more wishes' thing is a bluff."

"Then why didn't you tell us that back when I first found your lamp?" the boy shouted.

"Duh. I didn't like you."

Gesturing at the genie, he asked, " _Why_ exactly is Norm here?"

Not looking up from his magazine, the genie shrugged, "Last time the kid was over here, there ended up being lava and evil magical creatures involved. I'd rather not have a repeat performance."

Amanda smiled. She knew what he actually meant. He was worried and wanted to keep an eye on her. And he was willing to stay around Timmy and his fairies to do it. Considering how he used to be nearly incapable of staying in the same room as the boy without fighting, the girl appreciated the progress.

Rolling his eyes in response, Timmy said, "Fine. Whatever makes you happy."

"Poof poof," smiled the fairy baby.

"Well, I have a question," said Amanda, trying to steer the conversation towards the reason for her visit. "You're really good at making wishes, right?"

"That depends on your definition of 'good.' He makes lots of wishes, but he also has to unwish most of them because they end in disaster," commented Cosmo cheerfully.

"That statement doesn't surprise me at all," Norm smirked, earning a brief scowl from the boy.

"I was just trying to get some ideas about what to ask for, so I was wondering… What was your favorite wish ever?" asked Amanda.

She half-expected him to start listing various fun adventures or amazing toys. She knew he wished for lots of exciting things. She's even seen him make some of those wishes and she knew that he made various requests every single day. The girl understood it would take a while to go through all his fantastic wishes to figure out which was his favorite.

Instead, Timmy smiled slightly and immediately answered, "Poof."

"Uh, run that by us again," said Norm, glancing up from his magazine.

"My favorite wish is Poof," the boy said firmly as his god-brother floated down to give Timmy a hug while giggling. "Cosmo and Wanda wanted a baby, so I made a wish so they could and I managed to do it before someone had the bright idea of adding it to Da Rules. And having Poof in the family is awesome. He's definitely my favorite wish."

The girl couldn't help thinking that was kind of sweet. His godparents wanted a child of their own after looking after everyone else's children for who knows how long. And he decided they deserved to be happy and wanted a little brother too. Poof seemed like a great choice for his favorite wish.

"You're an idiot," stated Norm bluntly, glancing between Timmy and the infant fairy with an odd expression on his face.

"Hey!" complained Cosmo and Wanda.

"That's not nice," Amanda said quietly.

"But that doesn't mean it isn't true," said the genie, dropping the magazine. "Please tell me one of you has figured out the problem with wishing for a kid. Please tell me that you know what you've done."

He kept looking at the group with the weird expression on his face, one that Amanda couldn't quite identify. When no one said anything, Norm eventually rolled his eyes skywards and snapped his fingers. There was a quick _gong_ and a copy of Da Rules appeared.

"Out of curiosity, where did you get that?" asked Wanda, frowning slightly.

Waving his hand dismissively as he flipped through the book, he said, "Your husband gave it to me a little before the Fairy Idol incident."

"Cosmo, you idiot," she groaned tiredly.

Reaching the end of the book, Norm muttered, "No loopholes. You really are an idiot, Turner."

"What are you talking about?" asked Amanda.

Tossing the book over his shoulder and not caring about the slight crash from when it hit the wall, he said, "It probably wouldn't be a good idea to get attached to the baby with the unimaginative name, kid. Your friend really didn't pay attention to his stupid rulebook." Shaking his head, the genie remarked, "If they actually enforce this rule, then the fairies are definitely going to be winning the Award for Dumbest Act of Rule-Abiding Cruelty of the Year."

"Poof poof poof," asked the fairy infant.

"Turner, what in the world were you thinking?" Norm muttered. "You shouldn't be that ignorant of your giant rulebook by this time. It says quite clearly that all your wishes get undone when you lose your godparents, regardless of whether it is due to your age or some other reason. _All_ your wishes. Which means Junior over there will vanish. Nice work, Turner."

The genie's words definitely had an effect on those in the room. Frowns instantly formed on their faces. The fairies weren't floating nearly as high off the ground. The boy looked utterly heart-broken, prompting Amanda to place her hand on his shoulder.

"I know what will happen to Poof," stated Timmy quietly. "It almost happened already when I made that Secret Wish. But I can't change it. Anything I try to do will get reversed. That doesn't mean I won't try my best to keep him safe as long as possible."

He couldn't fix it. He couldn't protect his god-brother permanently. The various rules for fairies wouldn't let him. It wasn't fair, but that was the way things were. They had rules and they couldn't break them.

But Amanda didn't have fairies and her wishes didn't have rules.

"Norm?" she said softly, slipping off her backpack.

Sighing dramatically, the genie moaned, "I should have known. All right, kid. Say the word."

Pulling out the lava lamp, Amanda stated, "I wish that Cosmo and Wanda get to keep Poof, no matter what."

Before anyone else can react, Norm snapped his fingers. A _gong_ quickly rang out, but there were no other signs of magic. The genie looked rather smug as he crossed his arms.

"There. One 'unwish-proof' fairy baby with a goofy name," he announced. "Not to mention I've probably earned the loathing of every other genie in existence if they ever find out, so keep this quiet. And next time, think before you wish for random kids to come into existence because you aren't always going to have someone around to stop them from later vanishing into oblivion."

Nearly instantly, Amanda was trapped by three figures. The girl was wrapped tightly in a group hug by Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda. It felt nice, bringing a smile to her face. In unison, the three voices repeated the same words.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

The warm and wonderful feeling caused by the clear display of appreciation and affection from the family was interrupted slightly when she heard a surprised yelp. Amanda glanced up to find the third fairy wrapping his tiny arms around Norm's chest. The genie looked rather uncomfortable by Poof's actions and was trying unsuccessfully to pry the small figure off.

"Okay, get off now. No need to do this. Why is the mini-fairy clinging on me like a leech? Someone want to grab the kid? Do I need a crowbar? Get him off before I turn him into a gerbil or something. I don't hug baby fairies. I don't hug adult fairies either, just in case the green-haired idiot gets any ideas. So get off of me. Come on, let go. Someone help over here."

Amanda couldn't help giggling at the expression and the sound of his voice as he tried to get loose form a clingy Poof. And it didn't take long for Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda to join in.

* * *

Sanjay hid the poster behind his back. He wanted to surprise her. He'd just found out about it and he knew Trixie would have fun. Not to mention he doubted she'd ever been to one. But he needed to wait to tell her until just the right moment.

He watched as she smiled gratefully at the newly-delivered comics. He'd even picked up an issue of "The Grim Gargoyle," predicting that she would enjoy that comic line. There was a crossover episode later where he encountered Skull Squisher and they teamed up to hunt down Marrow Mangler, which Trixie would definitely find entertaining.

As she glanced over the new comics, he carefully said, "Trixie, I was thinking that you might be interested to know about the upcoming comic book convention next month." He pulled out the poster discussing the event and handed it to her, hoping the visual aid would be useful. "There is a costume contest and one of the artists for Skull Squisher will be attending."

"That's… nice?" she said, frowning in confusion.

Glancing around her room nervously, not certain how to phrase it without making the idea sound wrong, he remarked, "It sounds like it will be most entertaining. And some of the costumes are quite elaborate. You can barely recognize some of the people when they are fully dressed up."

She didn't say a word. Instead, she stared at him with an uncomprehending look. Sanjay didn't know if she didn't like his idea or if he was being too indirect. Maybe he should just say it.

"I was thinking that it might be fun if we went. You could get one of your comics autographed and it would be most enjoyable. And if we went in costume, no one would be able to recognize you. No one would know you were at a comic book convention. It would be perfectly safe."

She didn't answer. She just stared at the poster silently for several moments, her face expressionless. Doubts began to plague Sanjay. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. She wasn't comfortable with others knowing about her hobbies. She liked to keep it hidden. And even if this was fairly safe, technically it was possible that somehow it could lead to her secret being exposed. As much as he thought she'd have fun spending the day hanging out with other fans of comic books and other geeky activities, maybe it wasn't his smartest idea.

"I… I'm not sure I could find a costume in time," she said quietly. "Especially if I don't want anyone to see me buying it."

A smile quickly forming, Sanjay remarked, "That's not a problem. Whenever I go with Elmer, I make our costumes. Tell me who you would like to be disguised as and I will provide the proper outfit."

Grinning slightly, the popular girl said, "I wouldn't mind going as Queen Crusher. She only showed up in the seventh issue, but she nearly defeated Skull Squisher. Do you think you can make her fang-covered mask and the crown of bones?"

"Oh most definitely," he said. "You would make an excellent Queen Crusher. And the fabric for her outfit should be easily obtained from the store, though I'll have to be careful to select just the right shade of purple."

For about ten minutes, they discussed various aspects of how to design and put together the perfect costume. Trixie seemed to have a lot of ideas of how to adapt the image from the comic pages into a physical outfit. Fashion was something she understood, even if she didn't often sew. Accessorizing and matching pieces of an outfit together was her specialty, but she seemed to adjust quickly and even volunteered to sew some of the simpler parts herself. At one point, she pulled out some paper and sketched out a few ideas.

Then they moved onto working on Sanjay's costume. Again, she came up with some clever ideas of how to make him look more like a comic book character. He especially liked her proposed method to make him look like he possessed muscles. He hadn't originally intended to look like Skull Squisher because he looked too puny, but now he was looking forward to taking on the appearance of the character.

Then, just as they finished with the basic plan of how to make their costumes, Trixie frowned thoughtfully, "Do you usually go to these with someone else? Like Other Emp… Like _Elmer_. That's his name, right? The boy you're friend with?"

"Yes, we have gone to comic book conventions together in the past," Sanjay admitted. "Elmer and I usually have fun at them."

"So why aren't you going with him?" she asked.

"Because you have _never_ got to go to a comic book convention and it would not be fair to have you miss them because you have no one to go with. And since I am the only person you have trusted with the knowledge of your enjoyment of comics, this is the only option. It will not be the end of the world if Elmer and I do not attend a single comic book convention together. We can go to the next one."

She stared at him for a moment, but didn't say anything else. Sanjay was glad she didn't ask any further questions. He did feel guilty about not going with Elmer. In fact, he felt kind of bad about not spending quite as much time as he usually did with his friend. It was hard to find a balance between his best friend and his new friend who was scared to let anyone else get too close. As popular as Trixie might be, Sanjay felt bad that she could not admit the truth about her interests. That seemed like such a lonely way to live, always pretending to be perfect. In an ideal world, she would be able to enjoy comics and spend time with whoever she wanted without any fear of judgment. And in that world, Sanjay would be able to spend time with Elmer and Trixie at the exact same time.

But they did not live in that world. So he tried his best to make it work anyway.


	29. One Wrong Wish

While Hollywood was an interesting place to visit regardless of the time of day, they really needed to work on their map-making skills. Of course, navigation was never humanity's strong suit. How else could the Europeans discover an entirely new continent when looking for a short-cut?

"Barbara Eden should be around here somewhere…," Norm muttered, looking over his copy of _Map to the Star's Homes_.

Okay, it might not be completely the map's fault he was having trouble. It was kind of dark outside at the moment, which made it a little tricky to read the map. But he planned to keep blaming it on the map until he found her house. And he _would_ do it. It just might take a little while. But he'd manage it somehow. And more importantly, he would do it without having to stop for directions.

"Hey there, Norm," a voice called as an arm was casually draped across his shoulders.

Knowing exactly who he was dealing with without looking, he purred, "Tanda, are you here to make all the wannabe actresses jealous?"

The green-haired genie left a quick kiss on his cheek, "You always knew how to make a girl feel special. How're you doing? No one's seen you since before New Year's. I was starting to think you were back in the lamp again."

He chuckled, "No, nothing like that. I was just keeping an eye on a few things for a while. And what have you been up to?"

"Me? Nothing special. Just taking my newest pieces of eye candy out for a walk."

She pointed to the only other people on that particular street at that hour. Both were human men, black-haired, and exactly the sort of well-built physique that Tanda was fond of. They were each carrying several boxes and bags because she liked to shop occasionally even if she could _gong_ up the stuff anyway, though he had no idea where she found stores open at this insane hour. They were also clearly magically-compelled and exhausted. No matter how eager-to-please and cheerful they were forced to appear, there were definitely bags under their eyes.

"While the boy toys are cute, Toots, you might want to give them a break soon," he pointed out. "Otherwise they're going to be the ones to break."

She chuckled slightly, "Going soft on me? I guess the hunks haven't been getting much sleep lately. We've been… busy."

"Spare me the details," he rolled his eyes.

This time she laughed quite loudly, "This from the genie who tried to pick up five girls in one night about sixteen hundred years ago? But if that's how you want to play it, Casanova, that's fine by me. I guess they can take a quick nap while we chat."

She snapped briefly at the two humans and they instantly fell asleep at the _gong_ , piled over the packages they'd been carrying. Norm cringed at the sound of something fragile and likely expensive breaking. The cost didn't matter since money wasn't one of those things genies ever bothered with, but it seemed like such a waste. Hopefully Tanda would remember to fix it later.

"So what brings you to Hollywood at this time of night?" she asked.

Smiling wryly, he answered, "Had a little free time. Figured I'd get a glimpse of Barbara Eden."

"I heard you were fond of her show a few decades ago."

"One of my past masters loved watching it. The show grew on me," he shrugged.

"And how are things with your current master. The kid still a little pushover?"

The dark-haired genie pushed his sunglasses further up his face, ignoring the fact it was the middle of the night. They were treading into dangerous territory now. He didn't want to give away anything important.

"The kid is growing a backbone slowly, but making wishes still isn't her thing," he said as casually as possible.

"You got to love those exceptions to the usually greedy, impulsive species. They make life so much more fun. Try getting her to wish for world peace sometime, though. The effort is worth it to see their face when you steal everyone's free will or wipe out all life on the plaent. After all, the free ride will have to end someday, so it might as well be entertaining," she smirked.

Norm forced himself not to react to the suggestion. Tanda didn't understand. Even if she knew that some humans were different than the rest, she didn't know Amanda. She didn't understand how special the girl was. Messing with humans was just standard operating procedure. Tanda did it and so did Norm in the past. But not to Amanda. Never to Amanda. He would never let that happen.

But he couldn't tell Tanda that. It was too complicated. She wouldn't understand unless she met the girl, talked to her, and got to know the child. And Norm couldn't allow that because as much as he liked Tanda, he couldn't risk her harming Amanda for fun. It wasn't just because his reputation as a genie would be ruined. That didn't matter as much as keeping the kid safe and happy.

Oh man, had he changed. He definitely wasn't the same genie who'd popped out of the lava lamp months ago. He _had_ gone soft. But was that actually a bad thing if he was happier now?

"So, do you know if your friend, Rosemary, is out of her bottle currently?" he asked, changing the topic to something safer.

Tanda wrinkled her nose, "No, she's already trapped again. But I think Daja is available if you're interested. Just don't tell her boyfriend, Alben, whenever he gets out again. He keeps thinking he can make a long-distance relationship work with her."

"Didn't his lamp end up on the moon?"

"What can I say? Sometimes humans can be creative when they hold a grudge."

Thinking back to his actions during Fairy Idol, Norm shrugged, "So can genies."

Tanda laughed lightly in response, "True. No one can hold a grudge like a genie. Lots of magic and lots of time trapped in a lamp with nothing to do except plot revenge. Which is why no one wants to tell Alben what his girl has been doing for the last seventy years. Otherwise we'll lose about half the male population of genies."

"She's been busy."

"She's been bored. Her current master is still trying to find the rest of his body parts. I think once he has enough fingers, he's going to try spelling out the wish to undo everything."

Norm couldn't help smiling a little at that. Humans kept trying to wish for immortality in one fashion or another, but they were always so _vague_. The genie population usually selected a new method every now and then on how to mess it up to keep it interesting. This century, the standard way to grant the "I wish to never die" wish was to turn them into a zombie. Though the one before that where the person ended up as an ancient and decrepit old man was also fun.

"So I'll check with Daja next time I'm in Arizona and have her call you if she's interested," Tanda said. "And I guess I'll see you later, Norm." Snapping her fingers at her slumbering pair of humans, she magically-forced them awake with a _gong_ , "Naptime's over, boys We've got places to go and I need my eye candy."

She snapped her fingers again and the three of them vanished with a _gong_ in a cloud of green smoke, leaving Norm alone in the empty street with his useless map. He hesitated a moment before crumbling the paper up.

"Eh, I'll find Barbara Eden another night. Besides, Amanda will be up in a few hours."

And with that, he also snapped his finger to vanish with a _gong_.

* * *

It wasn't just that they were trapped. They also couldn't alter their prison with magic. Anti-Cosmo had tried to expand Anti-Fairy World a little (mostly to give himself somewhere else to get away from his son's complaints), but it didn't work. Oh, they could use magic for little things. But they couldn't expand or change the place.

He'd tested it thoroughly once he became aware of this new limitation. The anti-fairies couldn't, for example, create a new building out of thin air. But they could do it more indirectly by creating smaller amounts of brick and mortar, then using magic to put them together. It also worked better if someone broke a mirror first, but that was normal. But no matter what loopholes he tried, Anti-Cosmo could affect the size of Anti-Fairy World.

He wouldn't be surprised if this particular limitation was based off of what a genie in his lamp was capable of. It seemed like something he'd do, but it was certainly irritating to most of the population regardless of Norm's intentions. And regardless of whether fairies were to blame or the genie, they were all tired of being imprisoned.

Except for his dearest Anti-Wanda. Say what you will about his wife, but she was probably the happiest one in the entire pocket dimension. And honestly, if he had to be trapped with anyone, Anti-Cosmo was glad it was with his wife.

…Though he might have to knock his child down a flight of stairs if Foop didn't stop throwing that ridiculous temper tantrum.

* * *

"Norm, I'm afraid I've been thinking," remarked Amanda as she dusted the table.

"A dangerous pastime," he teased gently.

That earned him a smile. The girl was cleaning house again. She'd insisted on doing it herself sometimes. And unfortunately her parents were once more mobile enough to notice her presence (he'd finally reversed their flu before the child tried using one of her wishes to make the pair feel better), so Amanda appeared determined to do a good job for them. Norm was already plotting ways to take out his annoyance with them on the poor Canadians.

…Maybe he could send Mr. and Mrs. Adams to Canada. That way, everyone suffered. It was a nice "two birds, one stone" scenario. The genie quickly filed that idea away for later.

"Well, I know that Da Rules say that god-kids lose their fairies someday, no matter what," Amanda said carefully. "And I guess that makes a little sense since other kids need them too. It also says they have to forget all about fairies. And I guess that makes sense for _some_ god-kids or they could end up like Mr. Crocker."

"I'm sensing another selfless and possibly universe-warping wish on the horizon," the genie remarked dryly.

"No, not universe-warping," she said. "It doesn't seem right to change Da Rules. Those are the fairies' rules, not mine. The fairies probably know what they want as rules, so it wouldn't be nice to mess with them too much."

"And suddenly I'm bored. When did you start worrying too much about rules and limitations, kid? That's the whole point of genies: to ignore that stuff. And I'm still wondering if there's a question involved somewhere. Or a wish."

The girl glanced to the floor for a second before a small smile spread across her face. Norm was a little surprised that the expression looked vaguely mischievous.

"I don't plan to break their rules," said Amanda. "But there's nothing wrong with using a loophole for a friend."

The genie stared at her in silence for nearly a full minute. Then he managed to find the right words to express himself.

"Amanda, I'm more proud of you right now that you can possibly imagine," he grinned before scooping her up and spinning the girl around. "Finally! Someone who appreciates loopholes and wants to actually use them." Setting her back down, he asked, "What do you have in mind, kid?"

"Da Rules say the god-kid has to lose his memories of their fairies when they grow up, right? Does it say the memories have to _stay_ lost?"

The grin across Norm's face managed to grow a little as her idea became obvious. Yes, the kid was clever when she put her mind to it. He could already imagine the chaos her idea would cause if someone less scrupulous than her tried it. But he knew that she would keep her plan limited enough to avoid problems, but the genie was still amused by it.

"I'm guessing this is for Turner? You know Jorgen Von Stupid won't be happy if he finds out," he commented. "Which is probably the best part. Just say the word and I'll give the oversized wand-waver another headache to deal with."

There was a second where she looked uncomfortable with that part of her idea. But her usual dislike at upsetting people was quickly pushed aside by her obvious desire to help and the fact she was probably still mad about Jorgen being mean to her friends. The girl set down her cleaning supplies and ran towards her room.

Smirking, Norm snapped his fingers and vanished all the dust in the house with a _gong_. Amanda still couldn't make a wish for herself, but at least she tried to be responsible and helpful with her wishes. That was more than what most people did. Like Turner wishing for a baby fairy, of all things.

That had really infuriated him. He didn't even _like_ fairies, but that didn't mean he wanted to see the floating infant end up as yet another unwished wish. It was too similar to killing an innocent and helpless kid for his taste and Norm really wasn't fond of that. He'd done it when he couldn't find a loophole out of it, but he didn't enjoy granting those types of wishes. So when he figured out the mess Turner caused by wishing for Poof, it frustrated him. And the moronic rules let it happen. Yeah, it really made him wonder how in the world fairies ended up with such a good reputation. Sometimes rules were made to be broken, but the little wand-wavers just couldn't do it. Which was why Turner should be thankful for Amanda's kind heart and level head.

He'd known she'd save the baby fairy the minute she figured out the problem. Norm could have won money by betting on the girl's reaction. He also could have guessed she'd do something about Turner and his future eventually. It was the sort of thing the kid liked to do; she liked to fix things for those she cared about. Maybe someday she would figure out how to make a wish that was strictly for herself.

Amanda ran back into the living room, the lava lamp in her arms. The girl slowed slightly as she neared, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around.

"You used magic to clean, didn't you?" she asked.

He grinned, " _Maybe_."

"Norm…"

"What? I got bored waiting for you, so I did a little dusting. Maybe we'll have time for a game of chess now."

"Fine, but you'll be sorry when I win this time," the girl said.

Norm chuckled, "In your dreams, kid."

Amanda smiled briefly before glancing down at the lava lamp. She bit her bottom lip for a moment, looking thoughtful. Unlike so many humans, she always thought before she wished. Which was why her success record was better than Turner's.

"I wish that every time that someone erases Timmy Turner's memory, he'll get those memories back a day later," she said carefully.

The genie nodded briefly before snapping his fingers, producing a clear _gong_. He couldn't wait until the moronic Jorgen figured out what happened. Of course, Turner might manage to keep the idiot from noticing. Either way, the future could be interesting for those involved.

"Do you plan to tell Turner about what you did?" Norm asked.

She shook her head, "It'll be a surprise. He doesn't need to worry about it until he grows up anyway."

"Good choice, kid. It'll be more fun that way," said the genie. "And now that our favorite bucked-tooth troublemaker and his flock of wand-wavers are safe, I say we head to your room for that game of chess."

* * *

"But… but we always go to the comic convention together," said Elmer, staring in shock.

"And we will go together next time," Sanjay assured. "But this time, I am going with someone else who has never attended a comic convention before."

"He's tossing you aside," Bob whispered. "He's abandoning you. I told you that you couldn't trust the boy."

Ignoring the boil as best he could, the red-haired boy suggested, "How about all three of us go together? It could be fun and I wouldn't mind the extra company."

"I am sorry, but my other friend is extremely shy and would be most unhappy with me if we all went there together," he said, sounding truly regretful of that fact. "I wish I could figure out another way. I do not like having to choose."

"The only one you can trust is me," whispered Bob. "We'll make him pay for this when I rule the world."

"Please say you understand? I will make it up to you next time," Sanjay continued.

Elmer wanted to understand. He wanted to ignore Bob's voice in his head. He wanted to be the nice guy who easily accepted the offered apology and simply missed the comic convention this time. It would be the right thing to do.

But he couldn't do it. Ignoring Bob was growing more difficult when he made perfect sense. As much as he might hope otherwise, he was losing Sanjay as a friend. He'd denied it as long as possible. This was the last straw, however. They _always_ went to the comic convention together. And not attending together just proved that their friendship was obviously over. Even the promising status of Back-up Friend and Substitute Timmy wasn't enough to make up for that loss.

"You'll always have me, Elmer," reminded the boil. "You don't need anyone else."

It wasn't fair. But of course life wasn't fair. That was why he was standing around, waiting for the bus while his closest friend tried to be nice even as he destroyed everything. It was why he would soon be alone with only the boil on his face for company.

"Elmer?" said Sanjay awkwardly, drawing the boy's attention to how long he'd been silent.

Still enough of a friend that he didn't want to make him feel worse, the red-head faked a smile, "I understand. I hope you have fun."

"We should strike now while he is weak," Bob declared. "He could be the first casualty in the quest for world domination."

Elmer couldn't even gather up the energy to be upset with the boil's plotting. It wasn't worth it.

* * *

Timmy was officially in a good mood. He was already planning for the weekend. A few video games with Chester, AJ, and Amanda to start with. Then, he'd take Amanda to explore a jungle ruin of some kind. That would be fun. Or maybe he could try taking her to the South Pole for the ultimate snowball fight if the jungle ruin idea was too intense for her. It would be awesome either way, even if Norm came along to make snarky comments.

Walking across the playground, he couldn't help smiling. He had several friends to hang out with, including one who could be involved in his magic-based adventures. Both the anti-fairies and pixies were no longer a problem. Even the concern about Poof that he usually tried to shove to the back of his mind was gone. For once, everything was going his way and there was absolutely no way it could go wrong.

"Hi, Timmy," greeted Amanda, walking over to him from the bus. "I guess you wished yourself to school this morning, right?"

Even if she was cheerful about the whole thing, the girl was smart enough to drop her voice when talking about magic. The fact she could keep a secret was definitely a useful trait for anyone involved with fairies and genies.

"Hey, Amanda," he said. "Want to come over this weekend? I have some cool ideas if you're interested."

The girl nodded quickly. Happy with that, Timmy gave his squirrel-disguised fairies a brief smile. Yes, things were going well for once. What could possibly go wrong?

"What's wrong with Elmer?" asked Amanda, pointing across the crowded school property.

Timmy frowned in confusion before looking in the indicated direction. The bespectacled, boil-ridden, red-head _did_ look a little upset. Actually, maybe more than just a little. The more he looked at Elmer, the more obvious it became.

"Guess he's having a bad day," he shrugged. "It happens to everyone."

The brunette girl frowned at Timmy in the same disapproving manner that Wanda did when trying to guilt the boy into doing the right thing. Apparently it was an universal ability for females, regardless of age or species.

"He's your friend," said Amanda. "He's your friend and he's upset. Shouldn't you fix it?"

What _was_ wrong with him? Now that he thought about it, there had seemed to be something a little off with Elmer for a while. He hadn't really noticed that much, but the red-headed boy just hadn't been the same since around Christmas. No, it went back farther than that. How long exactly had Elmer been acting different? The Snow Ball? Maybe a little before then?

"I don't even know what's wrong with him, so how can I fix it?" he asked.

That made her hesitate a moment, glancing between the unhappy Elmer and Timmy with a thoughtful expression on her face. The boy made sure he didn't look at his disguised godmother. Amanda's guilt-inducing gaze was bad enough without Wanda adding to it. Especially since he'd obviously missed his back-up friend acting different for quite some time. Even if Elmer was a back-up friend rather than a regular one, shouldn't he have paid a little attention? He could have been replaced by a killer robot from the future and he wouldn't have realized until too late.

"Well, if you can't fix the specific problem that's making him upset, can't you still at least do _something_ to make him feel better?" Amanda suggested.

He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. She was right. He could do something nice for his back-up friend. It was easy enough to use a quick wish for someone else. Amanda did it all the time; look at what she did for Poof. And he had unlimited wishes while she didn't. Maybe he could be selfless for once. It couldn't hurt.

"So what would you suggest?" asked Timmy.

The girl shrugged, "You've known him longer. You know him better than I do. What do you think would make him happy? And try to make sure you pick something that can't cause any problems."

What would make Elmer happy? As Timmy stared at the red-head across the crowded school yard, he tried to figure out the best wish. For some reason, he found himself trying to think of the sort of things Amanda would pick out. If she was the one trying to make Elmer happy, what would she wish for?

It wouldn't be toys, video games, or expensive things. She didn't wish for that sort of stuff. She always seemed to wish for simpler, but more important things. So what would be simple and important that could make Elmer happy? Something that would change his entire life for the better?

Then Timmy realized the answer was as clear as the nose on his face. Or rather, it was as clear as the boil on Elmer's. It was the perfect wish to cheer him up a little. And Timmy could count it as his good deed for the day.

Glancing towards the colorful squirrels, the pink-hatted boy said, "Cosmo? Wanda? Poof? I think I've got it. I wish that Elmer no longer had a boil on his face."

Wands were raised and there was a distinct _poof_. And Timmy had just a moment to feel proud of his actions.

Then everything went wrong.

He caught a glimpse of Elmer, his face completely free of boils. But he was running away. A lot of kids were running away. He couldn't blame them. There was something horribly wrong.

Right in the middle of the school property, only a few feet away from the jungle gym and right where Elmer was standing when the wish was cast, was _something_. It was hard to describe. It was like part of the world turned inside out and reversed. It was strange colors, twisted images, and swirling motion that tried to pull more of reality into it. There was a hole in the universe. He could hear the wind roaring by as it swept by him towards the thing. It was like a black hole that was yanking part of the playground through it. Or maybe it was the reverse. Maybe it was something crazy and wrong trying to claw its way into their world.

Whatever it was, there was about a seven foot orb of wrongness in the middle of his hometown where there used to just be an ordinary part of the school property. Fragments of it looked a little like a photo-negative of the playground while other sections were too alien to describe. It almost hurt to look towards the very center of whatever it was. But the worst part of the whole thing was that it seemed to be growing larger, slowly but surely.

* * *

Crocker looked out his window towards the playground and noticed something odd. There was a part of the area that seemed to have completely destroyed all laws of physics, nature, and common sense. It almost made his skin crawl just to look at it.

"Hmm… It looks like someone tore a hole in reality," he commented casually. "That can only mean two things. First, this is obviously the work of _**Fairy Godparents!**_ "

He flailed around the empty classroom as he shouted, but Crocker managed to avoid knocking over the stack of papers on his desk. That was certainly progress.

"The second thing," he continued, "is that I think class is canceled for the day." He smiled briefly, "I wonder if I can make it to the beach in time if I leave now…"

* * *

Timmy had no idea what it was, but he knew it was somehow related to his last wish. Which didn't make sense because how in the world did removing a boil cause something so… horrible and strange? But it didn't matter because he was going to get rid of it fast.

"I wish that thing was gone!" he shouted, pointing at the weird orb/hole of insanity.

Since there was practically no one left to witness them, his fairies shifted into their more usual shapes as they raised their wands at the thing. Even as the wind roared and howled, Timmy listened for the familiar sound of success. But what he heard was a far more frightening noise.

_Pfft!_

"Uh-oh," said Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda in unison as Poof grabbed onto his mother for comfort.

"What happened?" Amanda yelled, her hands pressed over her ears to block out the roaring wind.

"It didn't work," he yelled back.

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

Before they could react further, there was a loud and nearly explosive _POOF!_ Abruptly a large and welcome figure appeared in front of them, giant staff-like wand glowing. No matter how much he might yell and threaten after this was done, Timmy was actually glad to see the Toughest Fairy in the Universe at that moment. Maybe he knew how to fix the weird thing that seemed to be warping reality around it.

Then he noticed that Jorgen looked horrified by it. And that scared Timmy far more. Unless it was a butterfly net, anything that could scare Jorgen was seriously bad news.

"Turner, what have you done?" asked the muscular fairy, his voice quiet and stunned rather than loud and booming.

It was still expanding. The area that was swallowed up by the thing was now an orb around nine feet in diameter. It wasn't stopping. What _had_ he done?

"I think I can slow it down a little at least," Jorgen said before firing a blast of magic straight towards the thing. "Get to Fairy World. _Now!_ "

Timmy didn't even have to time to say a word before his fairies responded, transporting themselves, him, and Amanda with a frantic _poof_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, things have taken a turn for the strange and scary for our characters. And even if this seems like it came completely out of the blue, I've been planning for this since the start. I really have. There will be some explanations in the next chapter about what in the world is going on. Just remember one important fact: I know what I'm doing.


	30. Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of talking and explanations in this one. But the next chapter should be a bit more action-y.

Daja was a pretty genie. Norm would be the first to admit it. From her curly lavender hair to her curvy figure ending in a smoky tip that kept trying to wrap around him, she was amazingly attractive. There was no doubt why she was so popular among so many genies. She was beautiful and loved having a good time with anyone available while her boyfriend was trapped. The only mystery was why Norm didn't get to know her months ago. She was everything he looked for when it came to a date.

So why couldn't he just enjoy himself? There was an attractive female practically throwing herself at him and his thoughts kept drifting back towards Dimmsdale. They were floating above the Grand Canyon, Daja whispering rather interesting ideas in his ear, and he kept wondering if Amanda was all right. Those idiotic anti-fairies and pixies ruined everything by making him paranoid. If the little freaks truly destroyed his ability to date, he'd have to visit their pocket realities later to torment them. Or he could torture Canadians again. Either option would make him feel better.

Norm tried to focus on the lovely genie purring sweet words in his ear and making promises about what they would do when she dragged him back to her bottle. He tried to pretend he was just another genie who couldn't care less about what his master was doing. He tried to enjoy himself.

As Daja introduced him to her very impressive kissing skills, something decided to completely ruin the moment. He always knew where his lava lamp was. It was part of the whole genie deal. He couldn't use magic to move it either unless someone wished it or was carrying it during teleportation. Supposedly it was a limitation meant to make sure genies couldn't easily arrange for specific people to find their lamps, but there were always ways around that. There were plenty of quirks to the whole lamp set-up. But the part about knowing the location of his lava lamp was the important one at the moment because his recent paranoia about Amanda meant he was paying closer attention lately. And he'd felt it suddenly go from somewhere in Dimmsdale to Fairy World.

Why would his lamp, and undoubtedly Amanda with it, be in Fairy World of all places? It was morning back in Dimmsdale and she had school. Even if Turner decided to skip class in order to wander around the land of the overly-cheerful wand-wavers, the girl wouldn't. Missing school wasn't something she'd do. So what happened?

Did Jorgen do something? Did he grab the kids for a little memory-wiping? That wasn't going to work. Turner's mind was protected thanks to her last wish and he'd just fix Amanda's memories later. But the genie would still have to do something to Jarhead if he tried. No one messed with her and got away with it.

"Norm?" said Daja awkwardly, apparently noticing that his attention wasn't on her and her kissing.

He needed to see what was happening. He had to make sure she was okay. Amanda could be in trouble.

"Norm?"

Without a word to the attractive genie, Norm snapped his fingers and vanished with a _gong_.

* * *

Amanda never really thought that much about what Fairy World would look like. Yes, she'd wondered a couple of times, but never for very long. Though the scattered remarks by Norm on the subject seemed fairly accurate based on what she could see so far after being abruptly _poofed_ there.

Large and poofy clouds under foot with rainbows and the cheerful sense of fairy magic filled the air. Bright colors and pastels were equally present on all the structures, each one more interesting and whimsical than the drab office buildings that occupied human cities. The population floated above their streets, their hair every color of the rainbow. Fairies, hundreds of them, moved around their world happily. It was so beautiful, friendly, cheerful, and bright. She fully expected the very air to sparkle with goodness and joy.

But as much as she wanted to look around more at the wonders in front of her, the girl couldn't completely appreciate the view. She was still thinking about the strange... _thing_ at the school. She didn't know what it was, but she didn't like it. There was something wrong about it. Like it didn't fit with the rest of the world. And even magic fit in with the rest of the world better than that section of distortion and corruption. Fairies, genies, pixies, and anti-fairies were meant to exist. That thing that appeared on the playground didn't.

And she wasn't the only one who could sense the utter wrongness of that black hole in the fabric of reality that warped everything around it. Even in this colorful place next to a bright and cheerful sign announcing "Fairy World," her friends looked worried and confused by what they witnessed. Poof was clinging to his mother, not making a sound. Cosmo and Wanda looked mildly panicked, though she wasn't sure if that was due to the weird thing or because their wands couldn't wish it away. As for Timmy, he looked confused, concerned, and completely annoyed.

"Typical," he muttered. "Even my selfless wishes blow up in my face." Then, in a louder voice, he asked, "Could someone _please_ explain what just happened? How did we go from wishing away a boil to... _that_?"

"I... I don't know, Sport," answered Wanda. "I'm not even sure what that was."

Raising his hand, Cosmo suggested, "Super freaky and scary?"

Agreeing completely with the fairy's assessment, Amanda wrapped her arms around herself and fought the urge to shiver. She didn't like it. In fact, she hated the creepy, growing orb of wrongness. And she was afraid that this wasn't the last she would see of it.

Obviously noticing the children's discomfort, Wanda floated a little closer to Amanda and placed a comforting hand on her head while her husband did the same thing to Timmy. The girl appreciated the gesture. She truly did. But as kind and caring as the fairy godmother was, Amanda wished that Norm was with her.

As if summoned by her thoughts, a loud _gong_ rang out as her favorite person in the universe appeared in a cloud of colored smoke. And his arrival was enough to make the girl relax, the dread of the strange warp in reality unable to compete with her belief in the genie.

"Whose bright idea was the impromptu field trip to Fairy World?" Norm demanded the instant he materialized. "Because a little warning about skipping class to visit..." His voice trailed off briefly as he caught sight of everyone's expressions and the genie frowned, "What did Turner do wrong this time and how bad is it?"

"Why do you automatically blame me? You don't even know what happened," complained Timmy.

"Law of averages," he replied distractedly. "So something is obviously spooking everyone and I'm guessing the trip to the land of pastels and wand-wavers is connected. So someone start talking. What happened?"

As the girl opened her mouth to reply, there was yet another magical arrival. And this one was louder.

_POOF!_

Only slightly less explosive than his last few entrances, Jorgen appeared not too far away. The instant the fairy materialized, the genie placed himself between Jorgen and the small group. What Norm thought was going to happen or what he intended to do to the muscular fairy, Amanda didn't know. But the genie hesitated when he actually got a glimpse of Jorgen.

Since the brief time they'd been in Fairy World, he'd gone from his normal self to exhaustion. He was holding onto his staff-like wand tightly, as if he needed the support to remain standing straight. He also looked kind of pale beneath that tan complexion. But it was probably the haunted and horrified expression that truly unnerved her and rendered Norm speechless. But only for a moment.

"Uh, someone want to explain why Jarhead looks like he was hit by a small planet?" he asked awkwardly.

Ignoring the genie's request, Jorgen announced, "We need to go. The Fairy Council must be informed."

"Hold it. Fairy Council?" yelped Norm in surprise. "I don't care what's going on. No way are you getting me and my master anywhere near that bunch of thick-headed, high-and-mighty, egotistical—"

His rant was slightly interrupted as Jorgen's wand glowed and transported everyone with a _poof_. Amanda blinked in surprise at the change in location before cringing back and tugging up the collar of her turtleneck. They were in some type of chamber, empty except for the tall pedestal/pillar/balcony/towering-location-for-looming-over-people-thing. And on top of this high perch were four figures in hooded robes staring down at them.

"—annoying, conceited, rule-obsessed, cloaked morons," Norm finished before realizing there was a new audience for his insults. When he looked up at the figures, who were definitely glaring with glowing eyes now, the genie's shoulders slumped slightly as he muttered, "Aw, _fez_."

"What is the meaning of this? Bringing an untrustworthy and filthy genie into our presence?" said the purple-robed figure.

Crossing his arms, Norm remarked, "Okay, let's get one little fact straight. I don't know what you think that genies do in our spare time, but we are at least civilized enough to understand the concept of a shower. So stop calling us filthy and figure out a more creative and accurate insult."

"Do not take that tone with us," the blue-robed figure ordered. "Do you not know who you are speaking to?"

"Yeah, the _Fairy_ Council. The guys who apparently spent thousands of years and some weird prophecies preparing for the return of the Darkness only to find out that it wasn't actually that aggressive. Yeah, Turner filled me in. Everyone freaked out because it looked scary and then the boy cleans up your mess in no time. So far, I'm not that impressed by you. And last time I checked, I'm not a fairy. You have no authority over genies. So I really don't have any reason to be automatically respectful of you. You're going to have to earn that." Glancing towards Jorgen, he continued, "In the meantime, someone better tell me what is going on."

"And maybe someone could explain it to us too," added Timmy. "I mean, it was a simple wish. All I did was wish for Elmer's boil to be gone and some weird thing popped up. It was freaky and I couldn't wish it away." Crossing his arms in front of his chest, the boy said, "I'd like someone, in ten words or less, to tell me what exactly that thing was."

"It was a sign that Bob has now been unleashed," stated Jorgen solemnly.

* * *

It didn't matter how strange things got in Dimmsdale; you could always depend on someone to show up to report on it. And that someone was always the same person because he was the face and voice of breaking news in that town. So when the panicking students and faculty fled the school, he arrived to stand in front of the camera and smile.

"This is Chet Ubetcha saying that not even elementary schools are safe anymore," he announced. "A large orb of unknown origin and composition materialized on the playground not long ago and quickly began to grow. Half the school has already been absorbed by it. Thankfully, the students and faculty were evacuated before it reached that point. And though the speed of growth _has_ slowed since then, the orb has continued to expand. No one is sure what we're dealing with or how dangerous it might be, but everyone is advised to stay away."

He paused long enough for the camera to pan towards the weird orb where the entire universe seemed to twist and warp around itself, colors and shadows reversing and melting together. It was really creepy.

"We'll keep an eye on this situation as it progresses. This is Chet Ubetcha saying…," he paused a moment to cringe before continuing, "this thing is really freaky-looking."

* * *

Timmy stared at the collection of tall and robed fairies, waiting for some type of response. He wasn't that big of a fan of the Fairy Council. Yeah, the whole "Chosen One" thing was kind of cool. What kid wouldn't want to have that title? Even if they initially picked Turbo Thunder for that job, it was still an average kid who saved the world and won the respect of these four fairies. But then they ruined it when they tried to punish him for the "Secret Wish" fiasco and didn't seem to care what would happen to Poof in the process. As obsessed as Jorgen might be with the rules, at least _he_ was upset about the whole thing.

So that entire misadventure left Timmy a little suspicious of the Fairy Council. But that didn't mean that they weren't smart and knowledgeable about weird things. Which was why he was paying close attention to their reactions to Jorgen's remark about Bob. If the fairies in the pink, navy blue, sea green, and purple robes knew about Elmer's boil, then something extremely strange was going on and he'd probably have to find a way to fix it. That's just how his life worked. Something freaky happened (usually because of a wish) and he had to fix it fast.

"Are you sure?" the pink-robed figure asked Jorgen.

The muscular fairy nodded, "I am."

"Okay, that's still doesn't explain anything. Who or what is Bob?" demanded Norm. "And what's the big deal if he, she, or it is unleashed?"

"Bob is the boil on Elmer's face," said Timmy.

"The kid _named_ his boil? Apparently I overestimated his intelligence," the genie muttered. "And considering my previous opinion of the dork, that's kind of sad."

"Be nice, Norm," whispered Amanda nervously, halfway hiding behind the rest of the group while pulling her collar higher.

"Yeah, Elmer's boil has a name," Timmy continued. "He also can think for himself." When the genie stared at him in confusion, the boy shrugged, "I wished for the ability to read minds one time. I could hear both Elmer and Bob's thoughts. It was kind of weird. Especially since Bob apparently wants to take over the world."

"Please tell me you're making this up," Norm said in a flat tone. "What…? How…? Okay, either someone out there wished for some random kid to have a sentient boil or else the universe just _really_ wants to destroy anything resembling logic." Rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, he moaned, "Didn't you ever stop to think that was a little odd, Turner? You're acting like self-aware boils are fairly common."

"One of the kids I go to school with is an alien in disguise who has horrible reactions to anything nice, good, or sweet. Chip Skylark can use his shiny teeth to blind people. And then there's the whole 'magical creatures exist' thing. Weird stuff happens."

"Especially around Timmy," added Cosmo helpfully.

"So you knew about Bob's existence?" asked the fairy in the navy blue robe, leaning forward slightly.

"Well, yeah," the boy nodded. "But I didn't know that wishing away the boil would cause… that."

"Cause what? I'm still missing most of the information, Turner, and that's kind of getting annoying," growled the genie. "So start from the beginning. What happened when you went to school this morning?"

"I got there, ran into Amanda, and she pointed out that Elmer was kind of upset today," he began to explain. "Actually, he's not quite been himself since the Snow Ball, but I didn't really notice before. The more I think about it, the more I guess the situation with Trixie and Sanjay was really bothering him."

The boy noticed an odd look on Norm's face before he shoved his sunglasses further up to hide his expression, but Timmy decided not to ask about it. The genie was probably just uncomfortable about being in Fairy World, floating in front of the Fairy Council. They probably couldn't do much to him anyway since he wasn't a fairy and genies were pretty powerful, but there _were_ four of them and only one of him…

Regardless, Timmy noticed that the quartet of fairies seemed equally attentive to his explanation. So taking a break to ask what was going on with Norm wasn't really an option at the moment.

"Anyway, Elmer was upset and Amanda suggested we try to cheer him up somehow. And since I didn't know exactly what was making him unhappy at that specific moment, I decided to just do something that would make him happier in general. Which in this case was wishing for him not to have a boil on his face," he continued. "And then everything went crazy and this weird orb appeared on the playground. It… it didn't look normal. Like a giant soap bubble, reflecting and twisting everything around it. Or a black hole that was pulling the world into it. Or something was clawing its way out. I don't know. I can't describe it exactly. But it started growing and felt… _wrong_. But when I tried to wish it away, it didn't work. Which is when Jorgen showed up, freaked out, and told us to go to Fairy World."

Nodding thoughtfully, Norm remarked, "And that would be about the time I joined the party. But that still doesn't explain why in the world a simple blemish-removing wish would produce some kind of weird orb. And it definitely doesn't explain why Jarhead and the Bathrobe Brigade know about the kid with the boil. So I guess it's your turn to share with the class. What do you know about what's going on, Great and Powerful Order of the Morons?"

Glaring at the genie for a moment, the quartet of larger fairies turned back towards the boy and his god-family. Apparently they'd rather talk to him rather than Norm. Timmy wasn't that surprised by that fact.

"Do you know about The Monster From The Dawn Of Time?" asked the purple one.

Surprisingly, Cosmo raised his hand excitedly at the question. In fact, the green-haired fairy began waving his arm back and forth in a frantic attempt to be chosen to answer. The boy didn't know if his godfather would have something to say that was relevant to the situation or would just comment on pudding. Either option was equally likely.

"I know it. I know it. I do, I do," Cosmo stated cheerfully. "Mama told me about it. I remember."

"Cosmo, that's just a story," scolded Wanda. "Everyone hears it when they're young. Then we grow up and figure out that it's just made up."

Jorgen remarked, "Not exactly."

"Yeah, humans say the same thing about fairy tales," Timmy pointed out. "I think I'd like to hear it."

"Yay!" cheered the green-haired fairy.

"Joy. Story time with the idiot," Norm muttered.

Obviously not at all deterred by the genie's lack of enthusiasm, Cosmo explained, "A long, long, long, long, _long_ time ago, back when everything still had that new universe smell and there weren't a lot of non-magical things wandering around on Earth yet, something really creepy and evil tried to move in. It was like our next door neighbors, but not the nice kind who liked to have block parties or wanted to borrow a cup of sugar. Nope. This one was mean and wanted to take over everything. And it could have. It was strong and scary and magic worked funny around him. He had a different set of rules because he was from somewhere far away. But no one wanted to let him take over, so the ancient fairies had to figure out a way to stop him. Eventually they found a way to shove him back to his home and locked the door. But the story says he's still trying to find his way back and even locked up, he can still get through a tiny bit to keep an eye on the world." _Poofing_ up a flashlight, Cosmo held it under face in an attempt to look spooky. "Boo!"

"There is far more truth in that old story than you might think," stated the pink-robed member of the Fairy Council. "The creature is from another universe, one with different rules governing that reality. You have encountered beings from another universe before, haven't you?"

Timmy nodded, "Yeah. Jimmy and his friends from the bulgy universe. But it was pretty similar to this one."

"Well, the one the creature is from is vastly different. Which is why he is so difficult to deal with. Magic doesn't work quite the same way on him. It depends more on how many types of magic is used on him rather than how much," stated the figure wearing the sea green cloak.

"A hundred of the most skilled and powerful fairies could be sent against him, but their magic's effect on him would be equivalent to a single fairy," Jorgen explained. "And now he is loose on Earth."

"So there's some weird ancient monster from another universe that was banished because he tried to take over our universe," summarized Norm, crossing his arms again. "I guess the million dollar question would be… How in the world did this thing show up in the first place?"

"Remember the story said that he can still get a little bit of himself into our universe? That is true. He would search out weak points between the two universes, searching for a way back. He continues to manifest himself as often as possible, always choosing to appear near large sources of magic," the purple-robed fairy explained. "He couldn't enter this world enough to take action, but his consciousness would take advantage of different hosts and objects that were available. Toys, jewelry, statues, dust bunnies, chunks of wood, rocks, zits, warts, wax figures, toe nail clippings, pieces of string, coins, candles, hairballs… He wasn't picky. All he needed was the opportunity. And godchildren, especially those who make numerous and large-scale wishes, often presented the most appealing targets for him to aim for. With all that magic flying around, there was always a small chance someone would release him inadvertently. He just had to wait for the right moment."

"And he found it," said Amanda, her voice nearly inaudible as she continued to lurk behind the others.

"My wish to get rid of the boil… it somehow opened a door or something to let him show up here," the boy remarked, horrified.

"So you're telling me that the ancient and powerful thing from another universe could only manifest himself in this universe as a _boil_ on some kid's face? Named _Bob_?" Norm said.

"Does that mean his real form is that giant orb thing?" asked Timmy.

"Not exactly," Jorgen answered.

The fairy wearing navy blue explained, "That is where he is pulling part of his universe into ours. Inside it is part of his home world, where his rules are the ones that work rather than ours. And as it expands, it will overwrite our universe to make it more like his. In enough time, it'll transform everything to suit his preferences."

"Poof poof poof?" asked the fairy infant.

"There's only so much we can do," admitted the pink-robed fairy. "Since all fairy magic is similar, it wouldn't matter how many of us tried to stop him. I'm not even certain how the ancient ones trapped him in the first place. It was so long ago that proper records of the event are lost."

"So what you're saying is," Norm said slowly, "you have absolutely no idea how to put this guy back in his own universe. And he'll probably warp this universe to be more like his while also taking over the world in the process."

There was an awkward silence as everyone looked at each other. This was worse than the whole Darkness situation. At least when he was playing the part of the Chosen One, there were prophecies and such to follow. There was a plan. Find the various hidden wands and activate them. Bob, on the other hand, was a problem with no immediate solution in sight.

He couldn't wish Bob back where he belonged. And apparently they couldn't blast him with every fairy in Fairy World either. According to the experts, the magic of all the fairies would be the same as just one fairy blasting him.

But if they had _different_ kinds of magic…

"We have to help them, Norm," stated Amanda abruptly, apparently having the same idea that Timmy did.

"No way," he said. "I say we get out of here. Maybe head to that bulgy universe Turner mentioned. We can hang out there while they clean up their mess."

"But we have to," she argued.

"Genie magic is different than fairy magic," muttered the purple-robed fairy. "It could work. At least, it might if we _could_ trust him."

Pointing a finger briefly at the tall and robed fairy, Norm remarked, "I'll deal with you later." Then he turned back towards the girl and said, "Kid, we aren't going to play hero against some weird, alternate-universe, boil-inhabiting creature. That's just not going to happen. I'm not letting you near that thing."

"But I have to go."

"No, you don't. There is absolutely no reason why you should go."

"Yes, there is. It's my fault in the first place. I'm the reason Bob escaped."

There was a brief moment of confused silence. And in that moment, Amanda seemed to have realized she'd become the center of attention and her eyes dropped to the ground.

"Uh… Want to run that by me again?" asked Norm finally.

"Timmy might have made the wish that let Bob escape from inside the boil. But it was my idea to wish for something nice for Elmer in the first place," she said quietly. "He wouldn't have made the wish if I didn't say something. That makes it my fault."

"Hey, I might have made that wish by myself eventually," Timmy argued, not wanting the girl to blame herself. "I'd sort of noticed that he'd not been acting like himself since Sanjay went to the Snow Ball with Trixie. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, but I did kind of notice it. So I might have made a wish to cheer him up eventually. And the part about getting rid of the boil was definitely my idea."

"But I'm still the one who suggested you make a wish," she mumbled. She then looked up at the genie, "Norm, you don't have to come if you don't want to. You weren't even there. I shouldn't drag you into my mistake." She shrugged, "I don't know what I'll do to help, but I'll try. I have to fix it."

Timmy could definitely see a weird look on the genie now. His expression was an odd combination of annoyance and guilt.

Moaning in annoyance and dragging a hand across his face, he muttered, "Stupid fortune cookie." Then in a louder voice, he said, "Fine. I guess it's time for a little confession. I think I might actually be the one to blame for all this, though I definitely didn't expect this sort of disaster."

"What do you mean?" asked Jorgen, frowning.

"This happened because the kids were trying to cheer up the boy with the giant boil. And he was upset because that popular girl was hanging out with his friend, right?"

Growing mildly suspicious, Timmy said, "Yeah… Why?"

"I may have sort of… been responsible for the two of them going to that dance together," he said with a sheepish grin on his face.

"What?" asked Timmy in a flat tone.

"I made that Trixie girl you like so much fall in love temporarily with the boy with the accent. I just wanted to mess with you, but without causing any harm that could be traced back to me," he admitted. "Of course, if she's still spending time with the dork, that's completely her decision. The magic I used on her ended at the dance. But I set them up in the first place. Which apparently led to the boil kid getting upset and you making the 'Bob-freeing' wish. But honestly, who could have predicted _that_?"

For just a moment, Timmy forgot all about the alternate-universe, Bob, the threat to his home and everyone he cared about. He forgot all about it and focused entirely on a single fact.

" _You're_ the reason I couldn't invite Trixie Tang to the Snow Ball?" he shrieked. "It was _you_?"

"Like she would have gone with you anyway, Turner," the genie pointed out. "And I think we have slightly more immediate problems."

"Poof poof," stated the fairy infant.

"Right," Timmy nodded, trying to calm down. "I'll yell at you more about this later. Right now, we need to figure out what to do about how another universe is trying to overlap ours and how to stop Bob from being our future ruler."

"I managed to slow him down," stated Jorgen. "Everything inside the orb of his universe is progressing at a slower rate than everything outside. That should give us some time. But we still need to hurry. The more it expands, the harder the damage will be to reverse."

"Well, since you helped to make this problem, don't you think you should help fix it?" asked Wanda.

She was giving the genie one of her Looks. Timmy was rather familiar with those Looks. They were the Looks she used when she was serious and that arguing would not be a wise idea. It was the Responsibility Look. It was the Clean Up Your Mess Look. It was the You're Not Allowed To Walk Away From This Look. It was the kind of Look that, when combined with hair-bursting-into-flames, could convince even the toughest fairy in the universe to bend to her will.

Norm didn't appear to be that impressed. He did, however, react more to Amanda's expectant look. Any argument that he might have been considering died a quick death and his shoulders slumped.

"Fine. I'll help you put Bob back where he belongs. Besides, if no one stops him, who knows what'll happen to Barbara Eden? No way is he warping reality completely before I get to meet her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. I think we have at least a few answers for my readers now. Hopefully you aren't too confused or disappointed by what I've devised. And do you guys remember that one episode that Timmy wished himself out of existence and then he got to experience the "It's a Wonderful Life" scenario? The reason why Elmer didn't have a boil in that timeline was because there was no Timmy there to attract Bob's presence. Chester didn't make as many huge and flashy wishes in comparison (at least in that alternate timeline). That's my explanation and I'm sticking to it


	31. Bob

Charging into battle like a bunch of thick-headed knights in shining armor wasn't quite as simple or straightforward as the stories made it out to be. Of course, Norm was perfectly happy with everyone taking their time. If they were slow, maybe there would be fewer dumb mistakes. The genie knew that there would at least be a _few_ dumb mistakes, but that was to be expected in any group that included Cosmo. But maybe they could avoid the worst of them.

The first order of business before they left the land of the overly-cheerful wand-wavers was the fact that dragging an infant along for the ride was kind of a bad parenting decision. Thankfully, the fairies realized that without Norm having to break out a sarcastic remark. The idiot Jorgen might get the wrong idea and think the genie liked the baby if he said something about keeping Poof out of harm's way. He didn't have much of a reputation left as a genie, but Norm didn't want to shred it even further by acting like he cared about the fate of the infant fairy.

He did find the choice of babysitter to be interesting. When Wanda complained about taking Poof along to face some alternate-universe monster, Jorgen summoned someone named Binky to watch him. The interesting thing as far as Norm was concerned was that the little guy was clearly only half fairy. He had the wings and the wand, but those pointy ears were clearly from an elf. Cross-species relationships weren't that common, let alone a hybrid kid. The genie doubted that Binky talked about his heritage that much, but anyone with half a brain could figure it out. Which meant _maybe_ a third of Fairy World had realized the truth. Still, he found it interesting that the little guy was working for someone as important as the enforcer of Da Rules. It was something to think about whenever the fate of the world wasn't at stake.

Honestly, Norm wasn't that worried. Annoyed, confused initially, and reluctant to play hero again so soon, but not really that worried. He might not have seen the so-called weird orb yet, but he was confident that he could handle the problem if he was forced to. Between the wand-wavers' magic and his own, there wasn't a lot that could withstand their power. Especially if he convinced Amanda to use one of her wishes. She had plenty of them and he could do just about anything when his master wished it.

The next order of business was apparently the fact that time was now moving at different speeds inside and outside the orb. While Norm could certainly see the benefit of having things go slower when it came to the monster Bob (who probably deserved a more intimidating name if he was going to freak out all the wand-wavers like that), there was the issue about parents. Even if they were only inside the orb a short time, it could result in hours or days passing for the rest of the world.

The fairies suggested creating a few copies to substitute at home for the children. It was certainly a smart idea. But Norm was quick to point out that they only needed a magical clone for Turner. Amanda's parents would never notice the absence.

He took a small vindictive pleasure from seeing the discomfort on Jorgen's face at that. Maybe the wand-wavers would work on their selection process and look a little more closely next time to see if a kid needed fairies or not. Hopefully the entire species felt bad about missing Amanda as a potential god-kid because she definitely deserved them. Of course, now they couldn't have her because Norm didn't plan on sharing her with some idiot fairy. But he still enjoyed any guilt that they might feel.

With all the preparations finished for their supposed hero quest to save the world (and Norm had to roll his eyes when Turner described it as such), the group took a moment to wave good-bye to Poof and his pointy-eared babysitter. As far as the genie was concerned as Cosmo and Wanda transported the small group with a _poof_ , the entire problem shouldn't be nearly as dangerous as everyone was making it out to be. Between the three magical creatures coming along, they should be able to fix it relatively easily. The Fairy Council and the other probably just exaggerated things over the millennia with those bedtime stories.

Then he caught a glimpse of the warp in the fabric of the universe. It was already over the size of a city block and that was _with_ Jorgen's attempt to slow it down. And while it looked like an orb, he could feel the utter _wrongness_ of what it was. The sensation of the other universe breaking through and combining with this one made his skin crawl. The two very different universes were fighting against each other, the different rules and physics clashing horribly where the two met. He wasn't sure how much the humans could detect, but anyone with magic would feel the creepy wrongness of what was happening. Norm could suddenly understand everyone's previous reactions to Bob's release.

"Okay, before we stupidly dive into that thing, can we try a smarter strategy?" he asked. "Kid, try making a wish. Let's see if a little rule-free genie magic can do some damage."

Hesitating a moment, Amanda nodded before slipping her backpack off and pulling out the lava lamp. The girl glanced briefly between the lamp, the genie, and the orb of freakiness before taking a deep breath.

"I wish that Bob was trapped again in his universe instead of forcing his way into this one," she stated.

Confidently, Norm snapped his fingers. But rather than the familiar sound and a cloud of smoke of a successive wish, there was a strange _clang_ and a jolt of pain that knocked him back with a yelp. It felt like he just stuck his hand in an electrical outlet and left behind a pounding headache.

" _Smoof_ , that hurt," he snarled, rubbing his head. "Let's not do that again."

"Are you all right? I'm sorry. What happened?" asked Amanda rapidly.

"Magic feedback," Wanda responded. "There's a reason why our wands don't activate properly when we can't grant a wish. It prevents… well, _that_. Almost all magical creatures use something to channel magic through, like wands or the pixies' cell phones."

"But genies don't," said Turner.

"Well, yeah, but how often do genies run into a wish we can't handle?" muttered Norm. "Oh, _fez_ , that stung. Let's definitely not try that again. _Ever_."

"I'm sorry," Amanda apologized as she put the lava lamp back in her backpack. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

The effect of the magic feedback wearing off, the genie remarked, "Not your fault, kid. It was my idea to try it. I guess Jarhead and the Bathrobe Brigade were right when they said magic didn't work right on that guy.

"Guess we have to do things the hard way," Turner muttered.

"Yay!" cheered Cosmo before noticing everyone's expressions. "Wait, is the hard way good or bad?"

"Maybe we should have left him behind and brought the baby instead. It would certainly raise the average intelligence of the group," muttered Norm, earning a brief glare from Wanda.

For a moment, no one moved. None of them were particularly eager to dive into the orb of doom. Even the minimum brain cells in the green-haired fairy were apparently enough to make him reluctant. Even idiots can possess a tiny shred of a survival instinct.

It was crazy. This whole idea was crazy. If he couldn't get rid of the thing with a direct wish, when he had available the most magic possible, then it had to be impossible. The smart idea would be to grab Amanda and escape to somewhere safe. And take Barbara Eden along. And maybe even Turner and his fairies so the kid wouldn't be lonely. Of course, keeping them from running back here would be nearly impossible. They'd insist on doing The Right Thing. But he almost wished that it was an option because he knew this wouldn't end well.

And this entire mess was due to him trying to mess with Turner's love life. One little, supposedly-harmless act of revenge led to _this_. There was probably some dumb moral message about how vengeance only leads to trouble, but Norm honestly couldn't care beyond being annoyed. The universe had a weird sense of humor apparently because this little domino effect had to be a joke. No one's luck could be _that_ bad.

Finally, Turner grabbed Amanda's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. The girl returned the expression, though her smile was slightly less confident than his. Then, the children deliberately jumped into the orb and their magical companions followed swiftly.

* * *

The instant he crossed the swirling, warping, twisting surface of the orb, Timmy felt really weird. His stomach felt like it was doing somersaults while his senses were going crazy. He was seeing colors he had no name for, hearing noises that didn't seem real, and he was certain at one point that he started seeing sounds and hearing colors instead. It was like being tossed through a strange hurricane that kept twisting him into knots and swirling everything together. Gravity, physics, and logic were gone. He wasn't even certain that he physically existed anymore as he drowned in a sea of chaos.

Then everything settled into a more reasonable imitation of normality. Timmy found himself lying on gray, cracked stone. It wasn't something that belonged around his school, but it was at least something recognizable and solid. As he pushed himself up, the bucked-tooth boy could see that he was on a large chunk of rock that jutted from the surroundings like a sharp spike. The sky was dark and overcast with a slightly greenish tint of light reaching down, as if shining through thick and strange clouds. Around him were jagged mountains and crumbling boulders that ended in sharp edges. There were no plants or animals; just dark stone and shadows barely touched by the green-tinted light.

"Well, that felt weird," complained Norm as he pushed himself off the ground. "You good, kid?"

Amanda nodded even though she looked a little pale. Timmy felt a little pale himself. That was definitely a rough trip.

"Woo! Let's go again! Let's go again!" cheered Cosmo enthusiastically, flying in circles around his godchild.

"Not a chance," said Wanda.

Glancing around the strange landscape, the genie remarked, "Your school looks a little different than I remember. Did you repaint?"

Rolling his eyes at the sarcasm, Timmy said, "This isn't exactly what I imagined another universe to look like. Shouldn't it be weirder? Even Jimmy's universe was bulgy."

"This isn't just one universe. It's two of them merged together, adding order and physical forms that your puny minds can comprehend and perceive. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing there with your bodies in their proper shapes."

He didn't want to turn around and look. Every instinct screamed at Timmy not to look at what was behind him. From the expressions on the others' faces, they didn't want to see it either. But he recognized the voice, even if it was deeper than before, and he knew he'd have to turn around. Swallowing nervously, the boy turned to face Bob.

Timmy ended up looking up more than anything. The hulking figure was huge, towering over them like one of the jagged mountains dotting the dark landscape. The giant monster was vaguely humanoid or at least had a head, two arms, and two legs. But the thing wasn't human shaped completely. He seemed to be practically sculpted out of stone, his back showing ragged edges like the side of a mountain, while his neck jutted forward out of the muscle mass. At the tip of each finger was a sharp talon and each one was as long as the genie. His face, however, stood out the most. Four horns, like those of a goat or antelope, curled out of his skull-like face. Four eyes burned as he stared down. And "burned" was fairly accurate a description because the orange light that glowed and flickered out of them like a flame. The light also poured from his mouth when he smiled his numerous fangs, suggesting something inside the monster was aflame, as if he was merely a container for the fiery form of something even worse.

"Hi, Bob," Timmy squeaked. "How're you doing?"

The giant monster grinned in a predatory manner, "Quite happy to be free, thank you. And quite soon I'm going to be ruler of the world."

"Why would you do this? Why would you want to take over the world? Can't you just go home?" asked Amanda.

"I will admit, with the exception of opera, your planet doesn't have a lot to offer or that much appeal," stated Bob. "But I don't mind a fixer-upper. I'll remake it into something better. Something that I can rule."

"Look, considering the state of most of humanity, your plans for the planet would probably be an improvement. But we kind of don't want the remodel," remarked Norm, crossing his arms. "So go back to being a giant boil and we'll all be happy."

"Or what?" asked Bob, sounding amused.

Trying to sound confident, Timmy said, "Or we'll send you back where you belong by force."

The behemoth laughed at the boy's words. The sound sent a chill down his spine. He really didn't like it when the bad guys reacted like that.

"Children and their silly magical pets," Bob chuckled.

"Hey!" complained Norm, Cosmo, and Wanda.

"You dare come to fight the Monster From The Dawn Of Time? The Creature Of Nightmares? The Boogeyman?"

"With titles like that, why call yourself 'Bob'?" asked Norm.

"Because I like being called 'Bob'," snarled the giant monster. Then he paused briefly in confusion, "Now where was I?"

"Us daring to fight," Cosmo said helpfully.

"Right," nodded the skull-faced behemoth. "There's just a little problem with that plan. You see this place?"

He gestured at the rocky landscape, the shadows and green-tinted light making it look even more alien than it would be in more natural situations. Once again, Timmy had a bad feeling about where this was going. Casual and relaxed villains were never a good thing.

"This is _mine_. Everything is a combination of mine and your universes, mixed together into something better. Something that is completely and utterly mine," said Bob. "And that means… _I_ control all that you see."

With that declaration, his hand shot out towards one of the jagged rock formations. The stones sprang up like a collection of knives and stabbed in the direction of the group. Thankfully, wishing out of danger was practically second-nature to the boy.

"I wish that those would miss us!" he shouted.

_Poof!_

The falling rocks twisted around, falling around them like raindrops without touching them. But the second they landed, they morphed into crystalline spikes that grew out of the ground and trapped them like a cage.

"I wish we were over there!" said Amanda, pointing towards another section of stone.

_Gong!_

"I wish that Bob was being pelted by falling tomatoes!" yelled Timmy as they were transported.

_Poof!_

The red objects began tumbling from the sky, but dissolved into sand before they could touch the behemoth. The hulking figure seemed more amused than anything by the wish, but Timmy intended it only as a distraction anyway.

"I wish that he was hit by a giant clown riding a unicycle!"

"I don't think so," smirked Bob, swinging his giant hand at the group as the kids screamed.

" _No_ ," Norm growled.

Before anyone could make a wish, the genie was already snapping his fingers with a glare on his face.

_Gong!_

A brick wall materialized between them and the oncoming hand, but it only lasted a second before crumbling to the blow. It was, however, enough of an obstacle for the kids to start running.

_Poof!_

The delayed clown appeared but melted into a puddle of water the instant he formed. Even worse, Bob was still smirking with his numerous fangs that filled his mouth.

"I wish he'd fall asleep!"

_Pfft!_

He should have known that wouldn't work against the monster. His normal wishes could barely touch him, even when he made them indirectly. Something as direct as forcing him to fall asleep was definitely going to fail, but he had to at least try.

"Perhaps I should have some opera music playing as I destroy you?" suggested the giant monster. "It would certainly make things more entertaining."

"I'm really getting annoyed by this guy," Norm snarled, snapping his fingers.

_Gong!_

Whatever the genie was trying that time, the boy didn't know. All that he could spot as he ran next to Amanda was a brief flash of light around the four-eyed creatures that didn't seem to even faze him.

"Lightning? Do you have no imagination?" said Bob. "And I thought genies were supposed to be interesting opponents. Perhaps the child is to blame."

"We could try a little lava if you prefer," Norm yelled back, snapping his fingers again.

_Gong!_

Rather than any lava, all Timmy saw was bubbles that quickly popped. That failure seemed to annoy the genie even more because he stopped moving and started snapping his fingers rather quickly.

_Gong! Gong! Gong!_

There were a few clouds of colored smoke that accompanied the sounds, but no other real evidence of anything magical happening. The boy began to realize how completely in over their head they truly were. Nothing was even touching Bob practically.

"I wish that he was trapped in an iceberg!" the boy yelled.

_Poof!_

For half a second, he saw the ice form around the creature. Then it shattered and they were forced to dive to the ground to miss the flying ice chunks. Norm was still glaring at the muscular and huge monster.

"You think you're so scary?" shouted the genie. "I've seen worse."

"You don't think I'm scary enough?" Bob asked. "I'm sure I can prove otherwise when I crush your master."

That apparently struck a nerve because Norm took flight straight towards the skull-faced horned-monstrosity with a snarl. And throughout his flight, he appeared to be just throwing pure magic at his target with no concern about shaping it into specific wishes.

_Gong! Gong! Gong gong gong!_

With surprising speed for such a large creature, Bob backhanded the smaller magical creature and sent Norm flying. The genie crashed somewhere out of sight, though Timmy could see some of the stones knocked away by the impact. The boy couldn't help flinching slightly.

"That's going to hurt in the morning," said Cosmo.

"Norm!" called Amanda worriedly.

Trying to come up with an idea, Timmy shouted, "I wish there was a net over Bob!"

"How about we try something else instead?" suggested the behemoth as the fairies raised their wands.

Thick ropes burst through the ground around them and swiftly wove together. The speed was shocking, but Timmy quickly realized what they were creating. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to stop what was happening.

"Aahh! A butterfly net!" screamed his godparents as they identified the object.

It was a butterfly net, but it was one that was melded with the ground. It was impossible to lift. His godparents were trapped and helpless.

Chuckling slightly, Bob remarked, "This is proving to be a nice opening show for my world conquest. Thank you so much for the entertainment."

Tugging at the newly-formed butterfly net hopelessly, Timmy was surprised when a pair of scissors was shoved into his hand. A quick look proved that they were the same pair Amanda loaned him before. Apparently she was smart enough to dig them out of her backpack. And even if the threads of the net were thicker than a normal net's, he could cut through them if given enough time.

The only question was, did he have enough time?

"Perhaps I should keep you alive long enough to find where Elmer wandered off to," suggested Bob. "I'd love to have him around for _all_ of my world conquering, even this little attempt to stop me."

"Why can't you just leave everyone alone and go back home?" Amanda shouted, placing herself between the giant behemoth and her friends. "We just want to fix things back to the way they were. Why do you have to take over our world?"

"Because I _want_ to," he smiled.

With the speed of a striking snake, his taloned hand snatched her up. Timmy saw her yanked away, dangling from her backpack as the giant monster started to walk away with her. She was screaming in fear and surprise, but there was nothing the boy could do to help her. Not without freeing his fairies.

* * *

Being tossed into the side of a mountain wasn't fun. In fact, it kind of hurt. It was definitely enough to stun even the most powerful magical creature for at least a moment. But it wasn't enough to stop him.

Norm was seriously ticked off as he managed to pull himself out of the genie-shaped crater. He was going to figure out a way to smash Bob's face in. He didn't care how powerful the guy was. No one smacked the genie around like a pesky insect after threatening his master.

Already angry with his target, his mood suddenly shifted into something else as he heard a scream. Amanda. She was in danger. Now that rage was mixed with worry and fear about what was happening. Without hesitation, the genie was back in the air and flying straight back into the fight.

He had to save her.

* * *

Amanda never really feared heights before. Of course, she was rarely that high off the ground. And usually she wasn't in the grip of a monster when she _was_ somewhere high either. So she really didn't know whether to blame her fear on the heights or the entire situation, but she was scared.

The glowing four eyes looked at her like she was a vaguely interesting insect. The girl couldn't help cringing in response. Then she saw the other hand come into view, reaching towards her. Amanda didn't know what he was doing, but she was afraid it was something bad. She wanted to escape his grasp and she wanted to hide from that glowing gaze. She wanted to avoid notice just like she always did in the past.

She felt the talons as the brushed against the back of her head. Then they did something and the second hand pulled away. The girl, almost against her will, turned her head to look at what was happening.

Horror filled her as she caught sight of a bright color suspended delicately between the creature's talons. She wanted to deny it, but Amanda knew exactly what he was holding. She knew what it was because it was so precious to her.

"Isn't it interesting," asked Bob, "how something as important as someone's life can be so fragile?"

She saw him tighten his grip slightly. And no matter what Norm might have said about its durability and the forces necessary to cause any damage, Amanda heard and saw a long _crack_ appear in the glass. And then she heard a scream.

* * *

It hit him like a knife to the chest, sharp enough to tear out a short yet loud scream. Pain. Pure agony shot through him fast enough to overwhelm all his other senses and send him crashing to the ground. He could barely notice that he wasn't flying anymore and was instead tumbling roughly across the alien landscape. Norm was too consumed with the pain radiating from deep inside. His hand clutched his chest tightly as short, ragged gasps shook his body. The attempt to hold his hand against his body was instinctive, but useless. There was no physical wound; though it was just as painful and dangerous as stabbing a human in the chest. The genie struggled to focus on anything beyond the agony.

Someone was screaming his name. He raised his head a little, spotting the giant behemoth responsible for the pain looming over him. In one impossibly-strong taloned-hand, Norm could make out a hint of color that he knew was his lava lamp. Even if he couldn't see it from here, he knew there was now a large crack in the glass. He could _feel_ that crack, the pain radiating through his body. In the other giant hand, dangling by the straps of her backpack and shouting, was Amanda.

Gritting his teeth against the agony, Norm forced himself to support himself on his elbows. He knew what was happening. He'd seen it before, when Ginger's bottle was destroyed four thousand years ago. His lava lamp was already damaged and in the grasp of the enemy. There was only one possible outcome for him. But Norm wasn't going to give up easily. There was still something he needed to do.

He saw the second that her backpack's straps broke, sending her plummeting towards her death. Snapping his fingers to create a weak _gong_ , the genie threw as much magic as he could spare to cushion her fall. He managed a pained, but relieved smile as he saw her slow down enough to keep the rough landing from being fatal.

Then he heard a chuckle from overhead. Bob. The giant monster. The one literally holding the genie's life in his hand. Norm closed his eyes and grimaced.

He heard and _felt_ the instant his grip tightened on the lava lamp, the sheer pressure and force causing the magically-enforced object to _shatter_. The pain, already difficult to bear, intensified enough for his vision to go white and knock the wind out of him.

* * *

She knew she'd be covered in bruises in the morning, but Amanda was grateful that she wasn't hurt worse. She thought the fall should have been worse. But any comfort she might have felt over escaping Bob's grasp evaporated when she heard the distinct sound of glass breaking.

No. She looked up to see the pieces of glass, melted wax, hot oil, and other fragments raining to the ground. No… Not the lava lamp. Please, no…

Amanda remembered what Norm said about genies and their lamps. She remembered what that meant, even if the earlier crack hadn't already obviously hurt him. The girl stumbled to her feet, spotting the familiar figure lying on the ground not far away.

Norm was hurt. No, worse. Norm was dying and it was all her fault. Norm was dying, it was her fault, and there was nothing she could do about it.

No. No, no, no, no, _no!_ Something inside the shy girl rebelled against the idea. She'd lost Grandma, the one person who treated her like someone worthwhile for most of her life. She wouldn't lose anyone else important. And with that firm decision in mind, a desperate idea appeared.

* * *

Even as he tried to cut through the netting, Timmy could barely look away from Bob and everything he was doing. He couldn't help Norm or Amanda until he freed his godparents, but that didn't make him feel any better. When Bob picked up the girl, he'd yelled instinctively in helpless frustration. Then he'd heard Norm scream and fall from the sky, nearly dropping the scissors in horrified shock. It took all his willpower to keep concentrating on his task. Then Amanda fell and he couldn't stand it any longer. He had to say or do something.

"Leave them alone," he shouted. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Bob turned all four eyes towards the boy, sending a chill down his spine. The way he stared down at Timmy prompted him to cut faster. He could hear his family urging him to hurry even as the behemoth grinned.

"Are you so eager to be destroyed by the new ruler of the world?" asked Bob, tilting his head after a moment. "I suppose destroying you and your trapped little friends would be simple enough."

"Not according to the rest of Timmy's enemies," Cosmo shouted back before his wife could stop him.

That statement resulted in another chuckle from the giant monster, "Perhaps, but they aren't _me_. But I know who you are, Timmy Turner. And I know that you are the one who unleashed me on the world. For that, I reward you by giving you a few more moments of life. Now excuse me while I crush your companions first."

"No," he screamed, trying to cut the final thread necessary for his godparents to escape.

He'd only distracted Bob a few moments. Maybe it would be enough time to free his fairies and make a wish. It was all the hope he had to cling to.

* * *

Wave after wave of blinding pain flooded his body, each successive hit matching his racing heartbeat and each one worse than before. He couldn't think. He couldn't move. Every breath was short, tense, and labored pants that he could barely manage through the agony. Even worse was the exhaustion and coldness accompanying the pain with the more recent waves that washed over him. With every pulse of agony that wracked his poor body, the more Norm felt the newer symptoms. The only constant to the experience was the indescribable and unrelenting pain, the source from which the rest of it radiated out from, deep within his chest. And even with his mind overwhelmed by everything he was feeling, Norm knew what he was experiencing.

He was bleeding out. Not blood like a human might in a similar condition or any other visible life-sustaining material. No, what he was losing was nothing as obvious to the random observer. The genie was hemorrhaging magic at a deadly speed.

And since there was no physical injury and his lamp was destroyed, there was nothing anyone could do to slow or stop it. At least the short-lived mortals had the option of some form of treatment if someone stabbed them in the chest or was impaled by a spear. Not genies in his situation. Death didn't come easily to magical creatures, but it could happen in certain situations. And Norm's time was up.

There was a voice. It was close. He could barely make it out, pain forcing out almost every other sensation. Though the waves of agony were slowing down. Or was it his heartbeat that was slowing? Never mind, it didn't matter. The voice was the important part. He knew the voice.

He tried to open his eyes, but he was so tired and everything hurt. Norm wasn't even sure if he'd managed the task for a moment. He finally caught a vague glimpse of something teal. The color… he knew it. Amanda. His master. His friend. His Amanda. He knew her, even if he could focus enough to see her face. The dying genie wanted to say something, _anything_ , but his breathing was nothing but a few ragged gasps growing further and further apart. He couldn't do it.

Maybe she'd forgive him for not saying good-bye.

* * *

She could hear Bob yelling at Timmy. Or Timmy at him. Either way, it didn't matter. The rest of the universe wasn't important. All she cared about in that moment was her immediate surroundings.

Amanda never asked if she technically needed to hold the lamp to make a wish. But now wasn't the time to experiment, so the girl practically dove for the remains of the lava lamp. Her left hand grabbed a clump of melted wax and glass shards as she ran the short distance to Norm, ignoring the way she cut her palm and fingers in the process.

He was paler than usual, his breathing painful to watch, and he was slightly curled so that one hand was near his chest. Up close, she could see his muscles occasionally spasm like he was trying to flinch away from the entire world, but couldn't actually manage to move. And she could even see his condition worsen visibly with each second.

"Norm, wake up," she called desperately. "Please. You need to listen to me. Don't do this. Just… just stay with… Norm, don't give up. Please. I need you to do this for me."

His eyes opened slightly, but they were blank and unseeing. Amanda realized she was starting to cry, but ignored the fact for the moment. She didn't have time for that. _Norm_ didn't have time for that.

"I'm being selfish for once, so please listen," she urged. "This is something I want. Something I want more than anything else. This is my wish."

* * *

There was still pain, still coldness, and still exhaustion, but now there was a numbness starting to settle in. It started with the tip of his smoky tail and his fingers, but it was speeding inwards. Norm didn't know whether to be grateful for the end of pain in those numbed areas or worried. But the voice was more important anyway.

She was saying something. A wish. Even in death, there was no choice. His master made a wish. He could barely hear her, her voice coming from so far away in the growing darkness, but he could hear her words. And he liked her. He wanted to grant her wishes. Make her happy…

He couldn't quite understand her words, but part of his scattering thoughts seemed to hear her just fine. He tried to move his fingers into position while gathering enough of the rapidly-disappearing magic to grant the wish his subconscious at least understood. But any form of coordination was gone and his efforts were somehow making things worse. Trying to grant a final wish was killing himself faster and if he actually managed to use magic in his state, it would definitely kill him in the process.

Of course, he'd die either way. So he had to try.

* * *

"One last wish. That's all I ask," she coaxed. "Please let this work."

Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the remnants of the lava lamp. It hurt, but Amanda focused on her first and dearest friend.

"I wish Norm was safe and free of what's left of his lamp," she said, hoping with all her heart that it would be enough.

For half a second, the girl was certain the genie didn't hear her. Or couldn't hear her anymore. But then his fingers twitched a few times, as if struggling to perform the familiar motion and just couldn't manage to make it work. He wanted to snap them. He was trying to grant the wish even as his dull and unfocused eyes drooped shut.

Amanda reached out with her free hand, hoping to force his fingers to snap. It was the only thing she could think of. His hand was cold and clammy to the touch, something that scared her since she'd always known Norm as someone warm and full of life. This was just wrong. But as long as there was even a shred of hope of saving him, even if she had no reason to believe it would work, she had to try.

"Please work. Please don't leave me, Norm," she whispered, trying to make him snap his fingers. "Just one last wish. P-please."

Her surroundings darkened and she heard someone yelling for her to run. She didn't have to look up to know that Bob's attention was back on her.

* * *

So tired. So cold and tired. Even with the spreading numbness, it still hurt. He just wanted it to stop. But there was a voice and he had to do something for her. A wish.

A hand. Even through the combination of pain and growing numbness, he could feel the grip of something manipulating his limp fingers. He was supposed to snap them. He was supposed to use the magic rapidly draining out of his body. He just needed to concentrate.

But he couldn't focus. At least, not for very long and not easily. He was too tired, too utterly exhausted. His limbs were so heavy and numb, leaving the slowing waves of pain in his chest and head only. Everything felt slower, from his foggy mind to his heartbeat that matched the remaining flashes of agony. He just wanted it to stop, wanted it to end.

Amanda. The name. A face. Even through everything else, the thought of her managed to reach Norm. She needed him. A wish.

Magic, all that he had left, was practically flung out of his body as his fingers were forced into the resemblance of a snap. The gesture and subconscious gave the magic shape, at least he hoped it did. But the loss of magic let the numbness and darkness wash over him, destroying all that was left of Norm.

* * *

"Norm! Amanda! Move now!" shouted Timmy, his eyes wide with horror.

The genie was lying limp on the ground and the girl was crouched over him. But the more alarming sight was Bob raising his massive fist over them. He wanted them to escape, but Norm didn't look like he could move and Amanda _refused_ to do so. And there was nothing he could do to stop what was about to happen.

_Snap!_

The final thick thread of the butterfly net gave way. Dropping the scissors, the boy grabbed Wanda's hand and yanked her through the gap.

As Bob's fist slammed downwards, Timmy yelled rapidly, "I-wish-Amanda-and-Norm-were-over-here!"

Somehow she understood his frantic attempt at setting a wishing speed record and raised her wand. Her magic activated just at impact.

_Crangoof!_

The sounds of magic overlapped with the crash of impact, the noise nearly deafening. But Timmy was thankful to see the cloud of smoke. At it dispersed, the boy saw Amanda crouching next to him, safe and sound.

The he realized it was _only_ Amanda, alone with tears streaking her face and a growing look of heart-breaking sorrow as she stared down at her hands. Timmy felt his throat tighten as the truth became clear.

"Where's Norm?" asked Cosmo, climbing out of the net.

Her voice a wavering croak, Amanda said, "Gone. He's gone."


	32. Backup

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Silence.

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Stillness.

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Emptiness.

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Then pain hit. Different pain. A good pain, one that raced through him like a bolt of lightning, burning away the numb and cold weighing him down. It jolted and shocked through him, the pain banishing the emptiness of before. It hurt, but it was energizing and invigorating. He found himself welcoming this pain as it shot through him.

A sound and a sensation. Not part of the pain, but something familiar. Something he'd not even realized was missing during that brief moment of time where everything was gone. A thumping sound in his chest. A heartbeat. _His_ heartbeat.

The pain was fading quickly to an uncomfortable tingling when he suddenly started gasping for air. He didn't even remember stopping before, but he must have for a least a moment. Otherwise, how could he just now be restarting? A few deep breaths helped, banishing most of the heavy coldness in his body. He shivered slightly, but he didn't feel like trying anything else. He tried to focus on just breathing for the moment. All that mattered was the return of the shortly-absent steady rhythm in his chest, remembering how to breathe again, and the warmth and energy flowing back into his body.

Then memory struck and he quickly opened his eyes. He was in the middle of a forest trail he didn't recognize, obviously far away from where he used to be and definitely safe. There was just a sense of pure calm and security about his isolated surroundings. If nothing else, he knew he was safe and could recover as long as necessary where he was currently. He also knew he _couldn't_ stay. He needed to hurry.

Pushing himself a little more upright, he caught a glimpse of a sign. It took him a moment to recognize the name of Jasper National Park, but he did. And even feeling less than ideal and worried about the situation, he couldn't help chuckling weakly at what he remembered about the location. According to the sign, he was somewhere in Canada.

* * *

No.

He was gone.

No.

She should have freed him sooner. She shouldn't have waited. She should have…

No.

It couldn't be true. He couldn't be gone. Not Norm.

But the lamp was broken, shattered into the shards of glass and melted wax in her hand. She knew what that meant for the genie. And then Bob smashed whatever was left. There was _nothing_ …

Tears kept rolling down her face and there was a tight knot in her throat. Her chest ached as she fought through silent sobs. And her mind kept rebelling at the idea. When Grandma died, it hurt a lot. But this was worse. Grandma's death wasn't her fault. Norm's _was_.

"Amanda? Sweetie, you're bleeding," said Wanda, trying to pry the fragments of the lava lamp out of her grip.

She knew she was. She could feel the sharp edges digging into her hand. But she couldn't let go. It was all she had _left_. Besides, she deserved a little pain. This was her fault. It was all her fault.

"We've got to move," Timmy said, staring at the giant monster. "Bob's too strong."

He was right. Bob was far too strong. He'd kill everyone. Just like he killed Norm…

"Someone has to stop him," said Cosmo quietly.

He'd take over the world and destroy everything. But first Bob would go after them. He'd go after Timmy and his fairies. He'd go after her friends.

 _No_.

* * *

"Why would I agree to assist you with anything after our last encounter?"

"One, I told you that you owed me a favor. Two, your help will result in a nice reward afterwards. Three, the danger is serious enough that you can't ignore the threat. And four, I'll make you _suffer_ if you don't do _exactly_ what I say."

* * *

"Get out of here," Amanda said quietly, glancing towards the boy. "I'll distract him."

Confused yells instantly erupted at her words, but she was already running across the rough landscape. She needed to get as far away from them as possible. Maybe if she was far enough away, they would listen and escape to safety.

After years of fading into the background, she needed to be seen by someone who made her want to hide. And after believing most of her life that she was worthless, she could do something to make a difference. She could protect her only remaining friends from harm.

"Come on," she yelled at the towering behemoth. "Come get me, Bob. You're not so scary."

He turned his horned head to study her, bemusement clear on his giant features. That was exactly what she wanted. As long as the monster's attention was on her, Timmy and his fairies would have time to get to safety.

Of course, this wasn't like what happened with the anti-fairies and the pixies. There would be no escaping at the last minute, no wish to lock Bob away, and no going home at the end. At least not for her. But that was okay.

She could never be brave herself. She couldn't stand up when she was in trouble or when she wanted something for herself. But she could be brave for those she cared about. As long as she was doing this for her friends, Amanda could do anything.

* * *

"You are aware that such a request normally requires paperwork to be filled out in triplicate?"

"Look, I've been having a really rough day. I mean, it has been unpleasant in ways I can't even begin to describe. So don't even start with me. Time is limited and my patience is _gone_. We need to go _now_. Got it?"

* * *

She heard someone calling her name as she ran, but she couldn't tell if it was Timmy, Cosmo, or Wanda. Amanda ignored their pleas. She continued, snatching up a chunk of rock with her free hand and threw it in the direction of the monstrous Bob. It didn't even get close to the giant monster. She wasn't strong enough to throw it hard enough to damage anyway. All she wanted to do was keep the behemoth's attention on her.

"Come on," she yelled even as tears continued to pour down her face. "Hit me with your best shot. You're not afraid of a little girl, are you? I'm right here."

"What a tiny little human," chuckled Bob. "Do you wish for death so strongly that you decide to charge straight towards it?"

Nearly tripping over a jagged rock, she shouted, "I just want you stopped. I want you gone."

"And you think you can stop me by throwing pebbles?"

"I have to _try_."

"But you will fail. You're just an ordinary child, not special or any different than the rest of your species. I, on the other hand, am Bob. And here, I am unstoppable."

Throwing another rock at the huge creature, Amanda said, "I don't care. You won't get away with this. You won't win."

"That's where you are wrong. I've already won. I've won by merely existing."

The girl tripped, tumbling to the ground. She fought back a sob. Was Timmy gone yet? She hoped so. Maybe the other fairies could figure out another plan. Maybe they could fix this mess. Because she didn't know how. She couldn't make this right. All she could do was keep him distracted and hope Timmy was somewhere else. But she couldn't do anything herself to help stop the monster. Bob was right. She wasn't special, important, or anything other than a little girl who couldn't even save her best friend in the world.

"I know you, child. You tried to replace Elmer as Timmy's friend. I have yet to see why he would want you around," remarked Bob, gesturing briefly towards the girl. "You're not at all impressive."

Amanda barely managed to stumble to her feet before cracks began to form in the stone. She was force to run as the ground beneath her tried to crumble. She thought she could hear distant _poofs_ , which meant Timmy and his fairies might still be trying to do something to the behemoth. But Bob seemed to be ignoring them at the moment. He almost seemed to like toying with her more than dealing with any possible threat.

Or perhaps he knew that no one present could defeat him.

"You are less than an insect to me," he continued. "But at least insects don't actively court destruction like you are. Perhaps your mind and willpower are broken and you no longer care about your assured demise. Did the genie's destruction hurt you, Amanda Adams?"

"He _wasn't_ just a genie. H-his name was Norm," she screamed at him, choking on tears. "He w-was my friend."

"And you are growing boring," said Bob, staring down at her with his glowing eyes. "Perhaps I should see if Timmy would be more fun. I told him that I'd let him live a little longer than his friends, but I didn't think I'd grow weary of you so quickly."

She snatched up another rock and threw it at the giant creature with a wordless shout. This time, it actually managed to bounce off the behemoth. Bob blinked momentarily in surprise, though she wasn't sure he could even feel it. But it kept his attention back on her.

"You've spent thousands and thousands of years trying to take over the world," she yelled. "Even before humans showed up, you were trying to get into our universe."

"Your point?"

"You won't win. You'll never win. You'll just waste a lot more time. So you should just give up now."

"Why should I give up?"

Scared, heartbroken, alone, and powerless against the giant monster, Amanda smirked through the tears. She wasn't running anymore. She was just standing there, hands balled into fists at her sides even as glass dug deeper into her palm and staring firmly at the behemoth.

"Because if someone like _me_ would stand up to you, what do you think everyone else in the universe will be like?" she said.

For a moment, there was silence in response to her words. She could hear the faint sound of shoes scrambling across rough stone, proving that Timmy still wasn't following her advice to escape with his fairies. But Bob didn't react to the noise and instead stared down at the unmoving child.

Finally, he said, "I shall simply deal with them as I shall deal with you."

As he raised his giant taloned hand with the clear intention of smashing it down on her, there a soft _tink_. The oddness of the innocent sound made everyone pause, the behemoth and girl looking down. Next to Bob's feet was a small object that didn't belong in the rough and strange landscape. It was a tiny salt shaker. And it was knocked over.

"And I believe that is my cue," remarked a very cultured and familiar voice.

_Foop!_

Blue and purple lightning flashed down from the sky, hitting the confused and surprised behemoth before he had the chance to dissipate the magic. He took a step back from the unexpected impact, leading to a serious of crashes as mirrors that Amanda was certain weren't present before broke like dominos.

Flying into view, grinning rather viciously, Anti-Cosmo said, "Yes, this should be interesting indeed. Let us see how this brute can handle a little bad luck."

"What is this?" bellowed Bob, swinging a hand at the dark blue creature.

_Ping!_

A pile of paperwork materialized above the giant monster, smacking into his skull-like head. Another equally familiar and unexpected figure flew into view.

Still dressed in grey and in an emotionless monotone, Head Pixie replied, "The power of bureaucracy."

"Timothy," called Anti-Cosmo. "Now would be the ideal time for you and your fairies to act. He may be able to dissolve whatever our magic creates, but he can only do so for one type of magic at a time. He needs a little time to adapt to each one."

Glancing towards her friend, Amanda saw that he had a completely stunned expression on his face. Cosmo and Wanda looked equally confused by the sudden arrival of the pixie and anti-fairy. But then the boy gained a look of determination on his face.

"I wish Bob was covered in bubble gum," he shouted.

_Poof!_

The behemoth was suddenly covered in the pink, sticky mess that tangled around his limbs. Amanda could hear him growling in frustration. Then the anti-fairy zipped by him with a _foop_ and feathers were abruptly stuck to the bubble gum as well.

"What are you guys doing here?" yelled Timmy.

"Haven't you guessed yet, Turner," Head Pixie remarked. "We are your back-up."

"I shall destroy all of you. And when I rule Earth and the rest of your universe, your deaths shall be recorded as a grand opera for my amusement," Bob snarled as he tried to tear free of the sticky mess.

"Indeed. We are the metaphorical cavalry charging in to save you from certain destruction," added Anti-Cosmo, ignoring the behemoth's words. "Well, you and the entire universe. But mostly the universe."

As another _ping_ quickly sounded and Bob was hit by what looked like a truckload of staples and paperclips for some reason, the boy asked, "But how did you know to come? And why would you? And _how_ did you get here? Weren't you trapped in your own worlds?"

As Bob tried to rip through and dissolve the growing mass of magically-created objects trapping him, the anti-fairy added a layer of what appeared to be maple syrup with a quick _foop_. Then he grinned at the confused boy.

"The answer to all those questions is very simple. We were not given any other choice."

"I wish Bob was wrapped in chains," yelled Timmy, finally reaching Amanda's position in front of the giant monster.

_Poof!_

As the metal links wrapped around the increasingly frustrated behemoth, the boy asked, "What do you mean you didn't have a choice?"

Abruptly, Bob managed to rip an arm free of the growing cocoon of magically-created materials. And with far too much accuracy, the limb lashed out toward the two children. Amanda felt Timmy pulling at her, but she knew there was no time to get out of the way.

Then there was a sound that both hurt the girl so much she expected to shatter into a million pieces and felt so good that she was terrified to believe it was real. But that one sound was enough to spark the return of a tiny glimmer of hope.

_Gong!_

A shackle appeared on the giant arm, halting the taloned hand a few feet away from the kids. But Amanda didn't pay much attention to the trapped monster or how close she came to being hurt. She was too busy searching the strange landscape and green-tinted skies for the source of the sound. She needed to know…

"They didn't have a choice because _I_ didn't give them one."

She almost fell with how fast she spun around. And she saw him. Just floating there, arms crossed and sunglasses perched at just the right angle for him to glare over them at the giant behemoth. He was _there_ , as if he'd just stepped out a moment to pick up a pizza or something. As if nothing happened.

Norm.

He was alive.

* * *

Timmy's jaw dropped. The last couple of minutes had been filled with unexpected surprises, from Amanda's crazy attempt at being a distraction to the arrival of a couple of his enemies as back-up. But the return of the supposedly-dead genie was forcing his brain to reboot.

What was going on?

He glanced briefly at his godparents for advice, but they looked equally shocked by his return. This definitely didn't make sense. He wasn't the smartest person on the planet, but Timmy did pay attention sometimes. And Norm's lesson on genies clearly stated that destroying the lamp killed the genie. So when the lava lamp was crushed into itty bitty pieces by a giant monster, that should have been the end of the story for him. And Timmy knew the lava lamp broke because Amanda was holding the pieces. The pieces Bob broke…

The thought managed to kick his sputtering thoughts back into action. He definitely intended to figure out what just happened, but they seriously needed to deal with the emergency first. They were finally getting some kind of effect on the behemoth. But he doubted that they'd be able to destroy him. If no one could destroy Bob in the past, there was a strong chance they wouldn't be able to do it either. But maybe they could at least trap him again in his own universe.

"Everyone," he shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that the various magical creatures present would listen to his instructions, "try granting the same wish at the same time!"

"Just say the word, Turner," said Norm with a slightly evil smirk. "I'm ready to put this guy down."

There was something different about the genie's appearance. That brief thought flickered through Timmy's mind, but he quickly shoved it aside as he realized Bob was already starting to break loose of his current entrapment. They needed to act _now_.

"I wish," he announced as loudly as he could manage, "that our universe and Bob's universe were once again completely separate and with him locked up in _his_!"

There wasn't a single sound as the various types of magic activated. The boy could hear his fairies' wands _poof_ , but only because they were floating right next to him. For the most part, familiar _poof_ , the ringing _gong_ , the chirpy _ping_ , and the darker _foop_ all merged together into one explosive noise that overlapped and combined into something that he couldn't even begin to describe.

Magic swept over everyone and everything like a hurricane. Timmy could feel it, the strange mixture of extremely different powers. There was warmth and comfort, but also coldness and mischievousness. There was order and uniformity, but also chaos and wildness. But even though these differing types of magic should have clashed and grated against each other, there was a sense of united purpose that made the combination stronger instead.

It would almost be scary to be in the middle of so much power, but Timmy felt safer and more confident than he'd ever felt in his life. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was working. He could feel it all the way down to his bones that it was working.

Then the magic dissipated and the boy opened his eyes, just realizing that he'd closed them in the first place. Somehow, he wasn't that surprised to find himself back on the school grounds. In fact, they were now around back of the school next to the dumpster and the cardboard boxes that he'd once used to hide from Crocker. The same place he hid Amanda from Francis when they first met. Either it was a coincidence or the universe simply liked that particular spot for some reason.

"Did it work?" asked Wanda, glancing around cautiously.

"It appears so," Anti-Cosmo remarked.

"Does that mean that Elmer has his boil back or is Bob completely sealed away this time?" asked Timmy.

Shrugging, Norm said, "No clue, Turner. I guess you'll find out next time you see the kid."

This time, the boy recognized what looked different about the genie. Something was missing from his usual appearance. Actually, _two_ somethings. Before, there used to be a couple of golden bracelet-type things on his wrists. Timmy had always figured they were part of his normal getup, just like the fez and bowtie. Now they were gone. Why?

Now that there no longer seemed to be anyone trying to kill them or take over the world, the boy decided it would be the perfect opportunity to satisfy his growing curiosity and confusion before something else weird could happen. Because if he didn't act quickly, something was _bound_ to come up. That was just the way his life worked.

And because so many strange and unexplained things had happened in such a short period of time, Timmy wasn't quite sure where to start. So he just asked the simplest question to everyone and anyone who might have an answer.

"What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" commented the genie with a smug look on his face before tapping his now-bare wrists. "The kid used up her last possible wish."

Those words were apparently enough to snap Amanda out of whatever state of silent shock she'd been in for the last few minutes (and reminded Timmy of her presence… she faded into the background _way_ too easily) and Norm was quickly knocked back as the small girl tackled him. Her arms were instantly locked around him as she sobbed into his chest. And Timmy was only mildly surprised when the previous confidence and smug behavior evaporated as the genie returned the desperate embrace with one equally tight and relieved.

"It's all right, Amanda," he murmured softly. "It's all right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First rule in regards to my writing, I am evil to characters I like. But the second rule in regards to my writing is that I prefer to have a happy ending. Which means that while I may have some deaths and near deaths for my characters during the course of my story, there is also usually some type of hope for the characters to make it out in the end. And thus, Norm manages to barely escape with his life due to a well-timed wish. 
> 
> And just because we've dealt with the climax of the story, defeating Bob and freeing Norm, doesn't mean that this story is completely finished. There are still a couple of loose ends that have to be tied up and dealt with. And explanations. There will still be some explanations because Timmy really wants to know what just happened. But we are nearing the end. If you remember anything from school about the construction of stories, then you'll understand what I mean when I say that everything that follows this chapter is to be considered the falling action.


	33. Words

Amanda didn't want to let go. She was afraid that if she loosened her grip for even a moment, he'd vanish. She held the genie tightly, hugging him desperately as if he was a lifeline. He'd been gone. For a brief time, she'd lost Norm. Now she was too scared to let go. She couldn't risk him disappearing again.

Happily, he didn't seem anymore eager to release her. And if her grip on the genie was desperate as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed quietly in pain at losing her friend and relief to have him back, Norm's hug in return was equally firm and unbreakable. He kept whispering soothing assurances in her ears, the familiar voice and calming tone far more important than the actual words. She latched onto that voice, the firm hug, and his solid presence. It helped her push back the memory of him hurt, weak, and dying. And Amanda needed all the help possible because that memory, along with the moment when she'd thought he was gone, was too recent and raw. The girl knew it would haunt her nightmares for a long time.

"While I'm quite certain that this moment of heart-warming reunion is important," remarked Anti-Cosmo, interrupting her thoughts while also reminding the girl she wasn't alone with her friend, "I would like to remind you that our business is not yet complete. We kept our half of the bargain, Norman. It is time to fulfill yours."

She felt a brief wave of disappointment and irrational panic as the genie's grip loosened, but he didn't let go. He simply adjusted her position in his arms, shifting her to one side so he could address the anti-fairy. With her new position, she could still cling to her friend, but she could also see the expectant expressions on Anti-Cosmo and Head Pixie's faces (though the second one's expression was more subtle). She could also see Timmy and his fairies with confusion and shock still etched on their features.

"What bargain?" said Timmy. "What's going on? How in the world did we end up being rescued by pixies and anti-fairies? I don't understand what just happened."

"You should print that on a t-shirt," muttered Norm. Then in a more conversational volume, he said, "I'm responsible for them coming to save the day, Turner. After I ended up outside Bob's little Bubble of Doom, I was also outside Jarhead's time warp. Which meant more time passed for me than it did for you inside. So I had a chance to figure out a plan and get some more info about the big guy. And call in a couple of favors."

The boy glanced towards the anti-fairy and pixie with a look of dawning comprehension. Amanda knew he must be remembering Norm's final words to the two magical species before banishing them to separate pocket dimensions and trapping them there permanently unless an outside person intervened. The genie mentioned them owing him a favor at some point in the future, saying that they would have no choice but to help. Apparently Norm chose to use that favor to trap Bob once more.

"We couldn't exactly turn him down," Anti-Cosmo remarked. "Besides, between the threat Bob offered and the genie's incentive, it was wise to agree to help."

"And the pixies knew a bit more about how he was trapped in the first place, which is how we knew to hit Bob with different magic too quickly to let him adapt. A whole bunch of different magical creatures teamed up and whacked him with as many different types of magic as possible," Norm quickly added.

"Wait, how did _they_ know more about Bob than the Fairy Council?" asked Wanda.

Sounding as smug as a bored monotone would let him, the Head Pixie said, "Just because your species is disorganized and does not keep accurate records of the past does not mean everyone is equally inefficient. Our records about the events are correctly filled out in triplicate and filed away for easy reference."

"It seems even their dull and rigid methods have their uses," remarked Anti-Cosmo. "But you should know the rest of the tale. We arrived with a plan on how to defeat the creature and we did."

A strange expression briefly crossed Timmy's face. Amanda couldn't identify it, but it certainly caught her attention. Then it was gone and an uncomfortable smile appeared instead.

"Well, I guess I should say thanks, even if Norm didn't give you much choice," Timmy said awkwardly. "Though it is a little weird saying it to you two."

"Don't worry, young Timothy. The feeling is mutual,' assured the anti-fairy. "But we _were_ promised a more substantial reward than merely your gratitude."

Amanda glanced up at the genie's face. What exactly did her friend promise the pair for their help? She couldn't imagine what they might want from Norm. She trusted that it wasn't anything bad, but she couldn't help feeling curious.

"Fine, we can settle the tab now," said Norm. Glancing towards the confused boy and his fairies, he explained, "Just because they had to help me with a favor didn't mean I could trust them. They could have tried to find a loophole and I know _all_ about the damage those can cause. So I promised a reward afterwards so they wouldn't try and cause trouble. An incentive to finish the job."

He snapped his fingers and a _gong_ rang out as the pixie and anti-fairy vanished in twin clouds of smoke. Their disappearance made the entire atmosphere of the area feel more relaxed. Even if they did help defeat Bob, Anti-Cosmo and the Head Pixie also nearly killed them before, so Amanda was glad they were gone.

"So now each of their pocket dimensions has a perfect copy of Earth and humanity, minus duplicates of a couple of kids," he continued. "The creeps and freaks can do whatever they want to their separate versions of the planet. Conquer it. Destroy it. Reshape it in their images. Whatever. They're still trapped, but at least they have something to do now. Plus, it'll distract them from searching for an escape route. Just in case."

* * *

Staring out at where the replicate of Earth floated, expanding the borders of their prison, Anti-Cosmo smirked. True, it wasn't the original world they wanted, but it was nearly identical. It would make a useful trial run for future plans. And it provided plenty of opportunities to spread bad luck.

Someday, they would escape. Someday. But they could be patient. The anti-fairies wouldn't be stopped permanently.

For now, Anti-Cosmo intended to explore the duplicate planet with his wife and carefully avoid Foop, who was still complaining that he couldn't destroy his fairy counterpart.

* * *

"Sanderson, arrange a standardized survey for the residents of our duplicate Earth and work on a projection of growth for the next quarter."

* * *

"Now that you've sorted out those two, I think everyone left has one other little question," stated Wanda.

"Which state is Kansas City in?" Cosmo asked.

Amanda couldn't help laughing at the green-haired fairy's words. The silly remark just seemed so ordinary and familiar. Cosmo always seemed to do something like that. It made it easier to banish the darker and colder moments of the day from her mind. His normal behavior made everything to do with Bob seem like just a bad dream.

"Is it possible that his IQ is actually dropping the longer I know him?" said Norm. "I mean, this is just— Kid, what happened to your hand?"

The abrupt shift in topic and genie's tone as concern bled into his previously semi-normal voice left Amanda briefly confused. Then she looked down and figured out what was going on. She'd nearly forgotten about how she'd sliced up her hand earlier. The cuts and scratches were still there, just like the blood dripping between her fingers and the glass shards digging into her palm. The girl simply stopped noticing. Between trying to distract Bob and then Norm's return, the damage to her simply didn't seem that important.

But evidently the genie found them very important since he immediately pried open her hand and started looking over the damage with a very worried look on his face. It only took a moment for him to come to the conclusion that she wasn't seriously hurt and that she wasn't bleeding anywhere else, but the look didn't immediately disappear.

"What the _fez_?" he muttered as he snapped his fingers.

The cuts and pain vanished with a _gong_ and a small pile of glass shards appeared neatly on the ground next to them. Even the fact he just used magic to fix the problem didn't stop Norm from giving her palm a final inspection. It was a little funny that he was so worried about relatively minor injuries. She didn't want him to be worrying about her when he nearly…

"Why in the… how did you end up with a bunch of glass in your hand? Did that idiotic Bob do something that I missed?" the genie said.

"Uh… Not exactly," said Timmy, looking really uncomfortable. "I think… that used to be your lamp."

Amanda nodded slightly as the genie grew a little pale as he looked back towards the pieces of glass with a new understanding. The girl's gaze dropped to the ground. She didn't want to talk about what happened. She didn't want to think about it. Because if she thought about it, she'd have to admit that it was real. She'd have to admit that Bob crushed Norm's lava lamp. She'd have to admit that she'd nearly lost him…

But she knew she couldn't hide from it forever. And they were going to want to talk about what happened. She'd have to face it.

"Oh…," the genie said quietly.

"I didn't know if I needed to hold the lamp when making a wish," she mumbled, still unable to look up yet. "I… I wasn't sure, but I had to try. I had to try _something_."

When her voice began to waver unsteadily, Norm wrapped his arms further around her in a tight hug again. The girl silently reminded herself that he was alive and safe repeatedly. The repetition and his solid presence helped keep the fear and sorrow at bay.

"It broke," she said quietly. "The lava lamp broke and you were hurt. I remembered… as long as you were attached to your lamp… So I had to break that connection."

"So she wished you free," said Timmy.

"Free and safe," Amanda corrected.

It wasn't enough for him to free. That wasn't enough. She'd wanted him to be _safe_. She'd wanted him to be alive, whole, and out of any danger of dying. She'd wanted him to be all right.

"I guess it worked. That was fast thinking, Amanda," stated Wanda.

"It definitely was," Norm said, his tone tense and strained. "But it worked. I ended up in Canada for some reason, though."

Cosmo suggested cheerfully, "Maybe it was the safest place in the universe at that moment."

"I don't know. Maybe," he continued. "All I know is that after I scrounged together enough magic to grant the wish, I ended up free and in Canada. You've already heard the rest of the story."

The girl felt him shiver slightly as he spoke, so she tightened her grip on him. She could easily tell that as bad as it was for her, the entire situation must have been worse for him. She remembered how he'd looked after his lamp broke. She remembered how he looked while he was dying…

Quietly, he continued, "Kind of cut it a little close for comfort, though. I think for a second or two… Well, let's just say that I'm glad I managed to pull myself together long enough to grant that wish."

"I'm sorry," apologized Amanda. "I should have freed you before. Then none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have got hurt."

"And no one would have grabbed AC and HP for back-up," he countered. "Look, everything worked out in the end. Bob is trapped again. The world is saved. And no one died… mostly… So there is no reason to apologize for something I told you to do. Since I'm the one who talked you into waiting on wishing me free, we'll just blame that part on me. Besides, you _did_ wish me free when it really mattered. So thanks, Amanda."

When he put it like that… The girl glanced up at the genie's face, seeing an honest and sincere look of gratitude. Maybe everything _would_ be all right.

"It has been a really long day," said Timmy, drawing her attention back to her pink-hatted friend. "Why don't you two go home and get some rest. We'll go talk to the Fairy Council and take care of everything?"

"I didn't want to talk to those idiots anyway," Norm remarked. "Thanks, Turner."

Amanda felt herself smile at the familiar sounds as they vanished with a _gong_.

* * *

"Are you quite certain, Trixie?" Sanjay asked as they walked down the sidewalk. "I would not wish to pressure you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable."

Trying to banish the doubts that still plagued her, she nodded, "I've been thinking about it since you invited me. And after the weirdness at school yesterday gave us the day off, I've had plenty of time to consider the consequences. I… I _am_ nervous about this, but I trust your judgment. Do you think I should be worried?"

"No," he answered without even a hint of hesitation. "Your secret will remain a secret. No one will find out, neither intentionally or by accident."

The popular girl closed her eyes briefly. She knew it was a risk. But she knew it was the right thing to do. And it was her idea in the first place. Sanjay wouldn't have suggested it. He was too nice of a person to push her into it, no matter how much he might want to make things simpler for him. It scared her to take the risk, but she _had_ to do it.

"All right," she said. "Let's do it."

* * *

The last couple of days had been very strange for Elmer. First his boil vanished at the same time that a weird orb thing appeared at school and started growing. Somehow, he knew the two were related, though he wasn't certain how. Still, he'd enjoyed the silence now that Bob had disappeared. It was a little lonely, especially after what happened with Sanjay, but the lack of world domination discussions was a nice change. Then, after about a day of listening to the news discuss the growing _thing_ swallowing the school grounds and the surrounding area, it abruptly vanished. And to increase the strangeness, his boil abruptly returned. The boy didn't know how or why, but it was back. And it was silent. He still couldn't hear Bob's voice in his head. Whether it was temporary or permanent, Elmer couldn't guess. All he wondered was if his day could get any weirder?

As if serving as an answer to his unspoken question, the doorbell rang.

Confused, the boy went to open the door and discovered that things could _definitely_ get much stranger. Outside he found Sanjay and Trixie Tang. Even weirder, Trixie Tang was _looking_ at _him_. She wasn't just staring through him like he was an Empty Bus Seat. It was like he'd stepped into some kind of science fiction show about alternate realities.

"Elmer, I am most sorry about our last conversation," said Sanjay. "And I… _we_ would wish to make it up to you right now. There is a secret that you must promise to keep and a question that we would be most grateful to have you answer."

"Uh… what?" he asked, still trying to get past the fact that his best friend and the most popular girl in the entire school were outside his house for some reason.

Smiling nervously at him, Trixie asked, "If I ask you to keep a secret, could you do that? Sanjay says that we can trust you and _I_ trust _him_. So can you?"

The popular girl was talking to him. The popular girl was talking to him. The _popular_ girl was _talking_ to _him_. Elmer felt his jaw drop. It had to be a dream. This couldn't be real. It all made sense now. The reason weird things like Bob vanishing, the school being eaten by a freaky orb, and Trixie showing up at his door were happening was because it was all part of an elaborate dream. That was the only explanation.

Still, it wasn't a _bad_ dream. Maybe he should enjoy it while he could. He'd wake up soon enough, so he might as well make the most of it for the moment.

"…Y-yeah, you can trust me," he squeaked out finally.

"Thank you," she said. Trixie closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "You know how Sanjay said he couldn't go with you to the comic convention because he was taking someone else? Someone who was… shy?"

How did she know about that? Did girls even know what comic conventions were? This had to be the strangest dream ever.

"Well," she continued, "the reason he said that was because… he's kind of… going with… me."

"What?" said Elmer, too startled to prevent himself. "But… you're a _girl_. A _popular_ girl. And comics… I don't… what?"

This couldn't be a dream. His imagination wasn't this creative. There was no way in the world he'd ever consider the idea of Trixie Tang and Sanjay going to a comic convention. It just didn't make sense. The red-haired boy couldn't understand what was happening.

"Yes, I am a popular girl. Which is why I can't tell people I like comics. And video games. It would destroy everything," she said quietly. "I have to keep it a secret. But then Sanjay found out. He could have ruined my life if he wanted to. But he didn't. He even helped me by buying comics for my collection." She gave her companion a small smile. "It was… nice having someone I could trust with my secret. I like having someone I can be honest with."

She turned back towards the stunned Elmer. The boy could only stared. It felt like everything he knew was false. But she looked so honest about what she was saying. And Sanjay wasn't saying anything against it.

"But I can't sacrifice _your_ friendship with Sanjay just so I can have one with him," continued Trixie. "And that's what I'm almost doing. I'm not good at being selfless and trusting people, but I'm _trying_. I knew I had to do the right thing. You deserve to know the truth. You could destroy my reputation, my popularity, and my life with what I just told you, but Sanjay says that you won't do that. He says we can trust you. Is he right?"

For a brief moment, Elmer thought he could hear a distant and weak Bob whispering to destroy her. Whether or not it was real, he didn't care. He couldn't do it. He was too nice to hurt someone on purpose like that. So he simply nodded.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Now, I have a question for you. Just remember, you can say 'no' if you want. We'll understand. But I have to at least ask."

After a few seconds of trying to find his voice, Elmer whispered, "What?"

"Would you like to come to the comic convention with us?" she asked.

There was silence for almost an entire minute. Then, with a small smile forming on his face, he nodded.

"Glad to hear it, Elmer," she said.

She remembered his name. Trixie Tang remembered his name. And she loved comics and wanted to go to the convention together. It was officially the strangest day of his entire life. But it wasn't a _bad_ one. In fact, it was pretty amazing.

* * *

The instant they arrived in Fairy World with a _poof_ , a cheerful voice filled the air.

"Mama! Dada! Timmy!"

The bucked-tooth boy abruptly found himself practically being tackled by his fairy god-brother as Poof flew to join his family. Timmy couldn't help laughing slightly as he returned the hug. It was good to have everyone back together. Especially consider what he had in mind for the near future.

"He's really energetic," remarked Binky as he floated into view, looking a little ragged. "How do you keep up with him?"

"Easy. I had a lot of practice dealing with Cosmo," said Wanda. "How long were we gone? The time warp Jorgen set up made it hard to tell."

"A little bit over a day," he said. "Which is probably why he's so happy to see you again."

Before anyone could enjoy the reunion any further, the authoritative voice of one of the Fairy Council stated, "Turner, you have succeeded in your mission. We are highly impressed."

The four of them were still positioned so that they loomed over everyone else. It wouldn't have surprised the boy if they'd never left their current spots in the entire time the Bob crisis was occurring. And Jorgen was once again standing nearby. At the moment, Timmy wasn't really worried about the presence of the strongest fairy in the universe. He wasn't even worried about the Fairy Council. He had something he needed to say and no one was going to stop him.

"Though I see the _genie_ is not with you," remarked the one in the purple robe. "It is not surprising that he abandoned you during the ordeal."

"Actually, I told him and Amanda to go home," said Timmy, crossing his arms. "They've had a rough day and deserve a break."

"I'm sure you exaggerate," the blue-robed one began.

"No, not really," stated Wanda. "I may not be his biggest fan, but we wouldn't have stopped Bob if it wasn't for Norm."

"He got help," Cosmo nodded.

"What _sort_ of help?" asked the one in the green robe.

"The Head Pixie and Anti-Cosmo," stated Timmy.

"Them?" shouted Jorgen.

"They are even less trust-worthy than the filthy genie," declared the pink-robed one.

"Uh… I think I should get out of here," Binky whimpered.

Timmy spared a moment to watch the pointy-eared fairy fly out of the room. It was probably for the best. Things were likely to get worse.

Staring straight at the Fairy Council, he said, "Look, no one likes those two. I have plenty of reason to hate them. They tried to dunk me and my fairies in lava on Christmas. I understand better than anyone that they are dangerous. But they _did_ save us today and they _did_ help trap Bob. And apparently that's how it happened the first time. According to HP, Bob was trapped the first time when a bunch of different magical creatures decided to work together."

"Your point?" asked the purple robed one.

"My point is that all of you are complete _morons_ ," shouted the boy, earning horrified looks from his god-family, a stunned look from Jorgen, and shocked expressions (from what little he could see under the hoods) from the Fairy Council.

"How dare you speak to us this way? You're as bad as the filthy genie," snarled the one in green.

"And _that's_ your problem," Timmy yelled, his hands locked into fists at his side as he glared at them. "Every single one of the magical creatures can't stand any other type of magical creature. I keep seeing it over and over and over again. Genies think everyone they deal with are idiots and hypocrites. Fairies think they are better than everyone else. Pixies think that everyone else are chaotic, disorganized fools. Anti-fairies treat others like targets that only exist to be tormented with bad luck. It's absolutely stupid. Even when the Head Pixie and Anti-Cosmo worked together, it was only because they hated me more and they'd probably stab each other in the back the moment I was dead."

He couldn't believe that he'd never really noticed what was going on before. He'd seen and heard the comments from the different magical creatures, but he'd never really paid attention. And why would he? He had fairies. They were the group that mattered to him. All the others tended to attack him or mess with his life. So why should he care what anti-fairies, pixies, or genies thought about each other? Why shouldn't he accept the fairies' viewpoints on the others? It never mattered before.

Now it did. The entire world could have belonged to Bob simply because no one liked each other. And that was just insane.

"The pixies had _records_ about Bob. They knew exactly how he was fought and trapped the first time," Timmy said. "Did you know that? All the information we needed was waiting for us, filed away in triplicate. But we didn't know because no one thought to ask. None of the magical creatures ever try to get along, even in an emergency. Remember when the Darkness showed up? Even if it turned out that it was harmless and that you shouldn't have attacked it in the first place, which is another example of your problems with any non-fairy, no one tried to call for help. The entire planet could have been destroyed and no one thought about asking the other magical creatures for help."

"They are dangerous and cruel creatures, Turner. You know that," stated the one in the blue robe. "You even admitted that they tried to kill you."

"So? I don't have to trust them or even like them. That doesn't mean I'll turn away someone who can help," he said. "When I had to face the Darkness, I teamed up with several of my worst enemies. Just like HP and Anti-Cosmo helped today. But that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" the one in the pink robe asked.

"My point is that all this nonsense about assuming that someone is an awful, terrible, useless person just because they're different than you is completely crazy. Yes, most anti-fairies cause bad luck and pixies like monotony. And yes, most genies will horribly twist someone's wishes and trick them. But that _doesn't_ mean you can judge someone completely by their species. Not every fairy I've met is completely nice. Some can be real jerks."

"Like a certain mother-in-law," muttered Wanda.

"Which one?" Cosmo asked.

Ignoring the interruption, Timmy continued, "If you want to know the truth, I didn't save the day. Norm did. And he nearly died doing it. Then he went and got HP and Anti-Cosmo. That's the _only_ reason we stopped Bob. Because we worked as a team. Different magical creatures working together. Fairies and their magic can't do everything. You aren't perfect. And you aren't better than everyone else. So stop looking down on everyone else and acting like you know everything. You guys live for thousands of years, so grow up. You and the other magical creatures need to at least learn how to get along during emergencies. And you definitely have to stop automatically judging people based on what they look like or what species they are. That's how you got into the mess with the Darkness in the first place. I have to clean up enough of _my_ messes without having to fix _yours_ too."

Breathing hard after his rant, the boy continued to glare towards the Fairy Council. He knew his godparents were looking at him uneasily. He wanted to tell them he was sorry, but he really wasn't. Someone had to say it.

He didn't like HP or Anti-Cosmo. And he'd probably never be Norm's friend. But if they had been standing before the Fairy Council right now, after helping to save the world, Timmy knew that the robed figures would've diminished their contributions and insulted them. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair. That was why he'd suggested the genie and Amanda go home. They deserved better than that. And if that meant yelling at the Fairy Council and calling them idiots, then he'd do it. He knew the risks.

"You are aware that we could take away your fairies for this impudence," stated the one in the purple robe.

"Last time I checked, Da Rules didn't say anything about it," Timmy mentioned dryly. "But yeah, I figured it was a possibility. That doesn't change the truth, though. And you need to hear it. In fact, someone should have said it a long time ago."

"Jorgen, what do you say to all of this?" asked the pink-robed figure.

The muscular fairy hesitated for a moment, but then he said firmly, "While it would be wise and courteous to treat the Fairy Council with respect, Turner is correct that there is no specific rule that states that speaking his mind and offering advice should result in the loss of his fairies."

If he managed to get through this without losing his god-family and memories, Timmy silently decided to get Jorgen an awesome present for next Christmas.

"'Offering advice'? Is that how you would describe it?" the blue-robed figure remarked.

"I believe that was his intent," he answered, shrugging slightly.

The entire room was silent for a few moments. The four members of the Fairy Council turned towards each other, exchanging a series of looks that Timmy couldn't even hope to see thanks to their hoods. Finally, they turned back towards the boy and his anxious fairies.

"We'll forgive you for your… less than respectful tone. You have just dealt with a challenging foe and you obviously have… strong opinions about the subject," the one in the purple robe said. "And we will… consider taking your words under advisement. I do suggest, however, that you do not repeat this stunt in the future."

Feeling himself relax slightly, Timmy nodded, "I'll do my best."

"For now, you have our gratitude."

"And?" he said, pushing his luck.

"And so does the pixie, anti-fairy, and genie."

"Norm," the boy said. "You have to at least remember his name."

"You're on thin ice already," reminded the purple-robed council member. "I suggest you quit while you're ahead."

The four figures vanished with a _poof_ , leaving Timmy with his fairies and Jorgen. Wanda immediately sagged in relief.

"Sport, could you at least warn us next time you decide to do something like that?" she asked.

Giving her a quick hug, he said, "Sorry. I just had to say something about it. And I knew the only time I could do it and have a chance of getting away with it is after saving the world from a major threat."

"Turner, you are far more trouble than you're worth," remarked Jorgen.

"Yeah, I figured you'd think that," he said. "But thanks for the support."

"Don't make me regret it," he said, slamming his giant wand on the ground and making the group vanish in a _poof_.

Once the smoke cleared, Timmy found himself back in his own room. A quick look at the clock showed that it was getting late and a glance towards his bed proved that the duplicate was still around. At least his parents wouldn't have worried during his absence.

"I wish my clone was gone," he said quickly.

One quick _poof_ later and the boy was able to climb into his own bed and relax. His fairies floated above him briefly, prompting him to give the trio a smile.

"So once again the world is saved," remarked Wanda. "What do you plan to do next?"

"Well, first I'm going to get a good night's sleep," he said. "Then in the morning, I'm going to have a little chat with Norm about him ruining my chance to take Trixie to the Snow Ball."

* * *

Amanda was yawning as she crawled into bed. She took a moment to rearrange Teddy and the blankets before she glanced back towards where Norm floated. He'd already set a lava lamp on her night stand. He didn't need it anymore and it didn't technically have any kind of connection to him or his magic like the original. But the genie said he was used to having one to hang out in sometime. As long as he didn't have to spend decades at a time trapped, he didn't seem to mind. It was even partially recreated from the broken pieces of glass she'd grabbed.

"So you're free now?" she said quietly.

"Yep," he said. "Just like you wished it, kid. I'm a free genie."

She smiled, "That's what you always wanted, right?"

Trying to look casual and relaxed even though she could see hints of excitement at the idea now that the horrors of the day were starting to fade, he shrugged, "I guess."

"Are you happy now?"

"Yes, kid," he smiled. "I am truly and honestly happy. But I already was before today."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Really."

They were silent for a few moments. She was tired, but a little afraid to fall asleep. Amanda knew that there would be nightmares. There wasn't much she could do to stop them from coming. There would be nightmares about Bob, about breaking lava lamps, and about watching her best friend die. But at least she would be able to wake up to a world where Norm was safe and alive. It was something she was truly grateful for.

"Now that you're free, will you stay with me?" she asked

He'd answered that question once before, back when she was sitting on the swing while completely certain that their friendship was a lie. She knew what he would say. But she needed to hear the answer out loud. She needed that reassurance before she faced whatever horrors might try to stalk her dreams.

"Of course, kid."

She smiled slightly as she closed her eyes. Everything was going to be all right. And even as she dreaded the coming nightmares, she felt herself drifting towards slumber. She was too tired to fight it, so she accepted the inevitable.

"Good night, Norm," she murmured sleepily. "Love you…"

She almost didn't hear it. She was already half-asleep, but there was a reply after a moment of hesitation.

"I love you too, Amanda."

Not a single nightmare was able to reach her that night.


	34. The Last Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is time to reach the only natural conclusion to this tale. And when I say "only" natural conclusion, I mean it. I've known from the start that there was only one way this story could end.

Norm looked over at where Amanda slept peacefully, her teddy bear gently tucked beside her and a lava lamp resting on the night stand. He didn't have the heart to disturb her. No, not yet. He wanted her to rest just a little longer as he collected his thoughts.

It was her birthday. Of course, that also meant it was the anniversary of when they first met, back when she was the most painfully-shy and selfless child in the world. It seemed like only yesterday. For him, it was practically no time at all.

That thought nearly brought the genie to tears.

Jorgen warned him. Multiples times, in fact. Even if he and the fairy never ended up as friends, they wound up at least on neutral enough terms for him to offer Norm advice. But even if part of him knew Jorgen was right, the genie purposefully ignored those warnings. He'd never been one to listen to those dumb wand-wavers anyway.

So Norm really didn't have anyone else to blame for his pain except himself. It hurt, a tight knot in his throat and an ache in his chest that nothing could ease, but he endured it for her. No matter what it cost, he could never leave her for long. And thus he was paying the price for his stubborn decision to stay.

He reached out and stroked her hair, the long brown strands having long since faded into white. Her face was sagging with wrinkles even in her sleep. Her hands were weak and fragile things, her fingers almost like knot-covered twigs. She always felt cooler to the touch than she did during her childhood. Everything about her seemed so much more delicate and breakable than before. She was a skeleton draped in loose, wrinkled skin. Recently, the sleeping figure barely left her bed, most of her past energy long since gone. She was like a candle burned down to the end of her wick, guttering in the breeze.

And even past all the ravages of time, Norm could still see his sweet and kind-hearted Amanda. He could still see his precious human child and final master. That was why hurt so much to watch it happen, to watch her waste away and fade. It hurt because he could still see _her_ within the fragile and withered form.

He could have stopped this. Even as a free genie with less magic, he could have prevented this from happening. He'd even managed to stealthily delay it for a while, strengthening her heart, reducing the effects of arthritis, and preventing her mind from deteriorating away. But she made it clear she wanted a semi-normal life. If no one else got perfect health, eternal youth, and immortality, then she didn't either. She didn't think it was fair to get special treatment in that regard just because a certain genie loved the child with all his heart. She wanted a regular human life and all the experiences that came with it. So while he could extend her life and influence her health subtly enough that she couldn't _prove_ he was doing it, Norm respected her wishes enough to avoid using too much magic on Amanda. He just watched her grow old as his heart broke in helplessness.

No, that wasn't quite correct. He wasn't helpless. He did have the power to change things. But she would hate him if Norm magically kept her alive and young forever. Maybe the fact that he _could_ fix her and yet chose not to was why it hurt so much. Even after his time around Amanda, he was still not used to acting selfless. The more natural and selfish choice, after all, would be to ignore what she wanted and make sure the human continued to live for another few centuries at minimum.

Not to say she didn't have a long and fulfilling life by the standards of humanity. He'd watched her grow up and blossom into a wonderful young lady with a better level of self-esteem and the same selfless heart. She never married, though she did date a few times. Amanda just claimed that she never really found the right one who would be happy with her (though Norm did admit now that scaring away any and all guys who seemed even slightly undeserving of the girl _might_ have been a tad excessive, but he _was_ acutely aware of the thoughts in some men's minds towards sweet girls like her). The lack of husband, however, never stopped her from having a family.

She ended up with tons of foster and adopted kids (and thus, grandchildren), taking in the various children who felt unwanted and undeserving of a home. Norm remembered how happy she'd been to take the first one in and Amanda gave the kid the affection that her own parents denied her. The genie used a little magic to ensure that the red tape and paperwork never got in Amanda's way. Dozens of children, from little toddlers to teenagers that no one else was interested in, were carefully shuffled into the household over the years. Some were only there temporarily, but those who left "mysteriously" ended up with fairy godparents afterwards (messing with Jorgen's files was so satisfying, especially since Norm knew for certain the wand-wavers' selection system needed work).

The genie also interacted with a few of the kids personally, spotting some similarities to the shy girl who freed him. Most thought he was just a relative of Amanda's or a friend of the family who visited often. A small handful, however, learned the truth at some point during their time in the household. They were cute children and Amanda certainly cared for them, but Norm still knew that his particular human was an exception to all the rules and special. But out of all them, he had to admit that some were pretty nice to deal with. The numerous kids and the resulting grandchildren were part of the reason she was in such a nice facility currently. After years of taking care of them, they were returning the favor.

His thoughts were briefly interrupted by a snore from across the room, drawing Norm's gaze briefly away from the sleeping woman. While normally the people who ran the nursing home would argue against having roommates of different genders, a little magic could be very convincing. Besides, neither of them tended to have the energy to do much by this point. In fact, in the last week, neither had left their respective beds. And since it made Amanda happy to see her friend, Norm made sure they ended up rooming together after the morning she didn't have the strength to go down the hall to visit him.

Turner, unlike Amanda, did eventually get married. Granted, there was plenty of drama surrounding the situation of who he would ultimately end up with, but it worked out. There was absolutely no murder or violence at the wedding itself. He and his black-haired wife ended up with the standard two children and a nice house. Norm had to admit that the guy did a good job pretending not to remember his fairies over the decades, even finding the right balance of happiness and misery so that his kids ended up with godparents of their own. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), they ended up with a certain trio of fairies. Jorgen probably worried about the chaos Turner's offspring could cause without proper supervision. Even if Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof didn't know Turner remembered, the genie was certain they wanted to be near their former godchild. They stayed with him until college, so it only made sense they were more attached to Turner than their past kids.

Even now Norm occasionally saw brightly-colored objects around Turner when they were between godchildren. However, the purple items weren't appearing as often now that the bucked-tooth man's age took its toll. No reason to make the baby watch the inevitable, after all.

Time was running out for them. The magic placed on the pair subtly (Norm _knew_ the wand-wavers were trying to do their best to extend Turner's lifespan too) was only slowing it down a bit. It was frustrating how little time humans possessed. For them, reaching the age of one hundred was shocking, let alone 108 and 111 like Amanda and Turner respectively. But it was practically a blink of an eye for Norm. That was what made the entire situation so difficult. And he couldn't give them anymore magical help without making it obvious that something was going on. All he could do was let things proceed naturally by this point, which was painfully difficult.

It hurt to see her in this state. But it would have been worse to leave her alone. He endured it because that was what Amanda wanted out of her life and he didn't dare miss any precious time with her. Then he overheard one of the nurses commenting on her condition and the genie's heart felt like it shattered. That was why he was floating there that morning, trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say. They were simply out of time.

Brushing away a tear at the memory of the news and frustrated with himself for reacting that way _again_ , Norm looked back at the sleeping figure. Crying wasn't something he generally did, though he'd done it several times in the last five years especially. Watching her slowly dying as time wore her away was simply awful. So many times he'd wanted to stop it, to reverse her aging. But even when Amanda could have wished for anything in the world, she never wanted to trap or force someone into something against their will. She didn't even try to force her genie into granting wishes he didn't want to. She never took away their choice. And living a normal human lifespan, with all the suffering and problems that came with it, was _her_ choice. The least he could do was extend her the same courtesy by not forcing her. That didn't change how difficult it was for him.

Death did not come easily to creatures of magic. It wasn't common and it certainly didn't strike due to living for a single century or less. After all, the youngest fairy was that old and barely a toddler. Mortality was something foreign and strange, something that only applied to those without magic. It was difficult at times to relate to the idea. But Norm could relate to it better now than he could a millennium before. Sometimes nightmares filled with the sounds of breaking glass, pain and numbing cold enveloping his body, and a brief empty silence still tried to haunt him. His close brush with death left him shaken and reluctant for another encounter. Now it was coming for Amanda, someone truly mortal and more easily snatched away. And all the magic that a freed genie might possess wasn't enough to truly bring someone back afterwards.

The sun was rising. He could see it through the windows of the cheerfully-painted yellow room. On most mornings, someone would be coming in soon to check on the pair of roommates. They would bring breakfast for Turner and Amanda while urging them to eat, though they barely possessed any appetite by this stage. And since it was her birthday, several of her younger adopted children would be arriving with their families. They would visit individually throughout the year, rarely leaving Amanda alone for more than a few days, but birthdays and holidays would gather the family in mass. And they definitely would be flocking in after that one nurse's phone call. But neither nurses nor relatives would be arriving for awhile. The genie had arranged for a little privacy and no one was going to ruin it.

He waited a little longer as the sky grew brighter. Norm wasn't generally one to really notice or care, but he had to admit that it was a beautiful morning. He hoped she liked it since this would be the last one of her far-too-short human lifespan.

Just as he began to worry he'd have to wake her up, Amanda began to stir. It was subtle since she lacked the energy to stretch and crawl out of bed, but he saw her blink her eyes and look towards him. A small, warm smile instantly spread across her wrinkled face.

"Norm," she said, her voice tired and yet honestly pleased.

"Hey, kid," he responded as he shoved his shades further into place, making sure that he also sounded cheerful and that his grin appeared reasonably authentic. "Happy birthday."

With a weak chuckled, Amanda said, "I can't believe you still call me that. I haven't been a kid for a long time."

"It wasn't so long for me," he muttered. "And you'll always be my kid."

When his pitiful tone sparked a look of concern, Norm hurried to find something else to say. He didn't want her to worry or be upset. The day was supposed to be about her. His feelings could wait until after.

"So you're 108 years old now," said the genie. "That's apparently impressive for humans. How do you feel about that?"

"Tired. But that's normal. How have you been? I haven't seen you in a few days. Was it a date?"

"No, no dates. And I've been around. You're just not alone much anymore," he said, gesturing towards the slumbering Turner across the room. "It's just a little trickier getting to you now."

She frowned momentarily, which Norm instantly hated himself for causing, and said, "Sorry. It used to be easier, but I just can't manage to move around the place anymore."

"Don't worry about it," he quickly assured. "In fact, don't worry about anything. Today is a special day and you're all that matters. So let's get you fixed up nice."

A quick finger snap and a _gong_ later and her white hair was untangled and tied with a teal bow. Another quick _gong_ and her nightgown was replaced for the first time in weeks by a cozy turtleneck and well-worn jeans. No matter how much time passed, some things never changed. And her preferred appearance was one such thing.

"There," he said with as much pride and cheer as he could force into his voice. "Much better. You look almost presentable."

"Norm," said Amanda quietly. "What's wrong?"

"What are you talking about, kid? What in the world could possibly be wrong?" he bluffed, not wanting to lie and not yet willing to tell the complete truth.

Somehow that withered old face managed to hit him with a stern look as she said, "Really? After all this time, you think you can fool me? I _know_ you, Norm. And I can tell when you're hiding something. You always shove your sunglasses all the way up when you don't want people to know how you feel. That way the shades cover your eyes and we can't see your expression."

He should have known she'd figure out something was on his mind. She was always observant. Of course, he'd hoped she'd not notice. Approaching this particular topic was just so hard. He wanted more time to work up the courage.

Then, as if answering the genie's desire for _any_ form of a distraction, a drowsy voice remarked, "What's with all the racket first thing in the morning? Some people are trying to sleep."

At the ripe age of 111, Turner was still easily recognizable as the former average kid that no one understood. A worn and faded pink hat was perched on his unruly white hair and his bucked teeth were amazingly still securely attached to his upper jaw with the strength that could only be the work of the Tooth Fairy. As he blinked his bleary blue eyes and peered at them, any of his past enemies would quickly realize his identity. Even age could not conceal his appearance.

It was, however, extremely amusing to watch Turner's reactions as he spotted the genie floating across the room from his bed. The first expression was one of clear recognition, the former godchild recalling Norm's identity easily. Then there was a brief moment of panic as Turner's sleep-addled mind remembered that he wasn't _supposed_ to remember anything to do with magic and that he would be in huge trouble if someone realized his memories were still in place. That panic was quickly hidden by the fakest look of innocent confusion that the genie had ever witnessed in the thousands of years he'd existed. It was obviously a miracle no one realized Turner remembered about magic. The success of his secret was apparently not due to his amazing acting ability.

"Uh… Hello, random stranger I've never met before who is _clearly_ a completely normal human," greeted Turner nervously. "Don't mind me. I'm probably going senile anyway."

"Save it, boy," Norm grumbled, rolling his eyes. "You're wasting your time with that oblivious routine. We know you remember me, your fairies, and everything. The kid wished for you to regain your memory no matter how many times Jarhead tried to erase it."

The wrinkled old man frowned briefly, "Well, that explains a lot."

"I thought you should be able to remember your god-family. It wasn't fair to make you forget them," said Amanda.

"Thanks. I'm happy to remember Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof. I miss them, but at least I got to keep my memories of them. That's more than I could have hoped for." Turner smiled thoughtfully, "I think they check on me sometimes. I think I spotted them out of the corner of my eye a few times over the years. It was nice… knowing they were still around. And that they were still thinking about me."

"Of course they're still thinking about you," remarked the genie. "How else do you think you managed to live this long? You may not have noticed, but you're a little outside the average human lifespan by this point and magic certainly works better than the healthcare plan in this country."

"So if Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof are responsible for Timmy living to 111 years old, I have to wonder who was responsible for me," remarked Amanda, directing a look at the genie that declared that she already knew the answer.

Norm winced slightly. He'd enjoyed the slight distraction provided by Turner. It was easier to talk about him. But now the topic was winding back towards the touchier subject. Unfortunately, he couldn't delay much longer. He had to tell her.

"Yes, I admit it. I've been using a little magic to keep you in good condition. Well, you and Turner a little," he said reluctantly, purposefully ignoring the old man's expression, "but mostly you. I know you didn't want it, but I simply couldn't float around doing nothing. But I've been cutting back on the magical assistance lately. Otherwise you'd start attracting attention. People in general might be idiots, but they'd notice your incredible age and health eventually."

"Norm," said Amanda quietly.

"I can get you helping her, but why me?" Turner interrupted.

"She likes you. And you make her happy," he said simply. "But I stopped. Needless to say, nature started taking its course again the moment I stopped cheating with magic. Time finally caught up."

Turner's face twisted into an expression of confusion, but not hers. Between the genie's resigned tone and his words, Amanda understood what was happening. She knew. Norm always knew she was smarter than most humans. The old and tired woman nodded in understanding and acceptance of her fate. She was perfectly fine with it. And her calm acceptance made the genie's heart clench painfully.

"How long?" she asked quietly.

"According to one particularly gossip-prone nurse working here, before the end of the week," said Norm reluctantly, turning to stare out the window rather than meet her eye. "And since it is currently Friday morning… Yeah, let's leave it at that."

"What's going on?" asked Turner, either truly not understanding what they were saying… or just in too much denial to accept it yet.

When the genie couldn't bring himself to answer, Amanda said, "I'm dying."

Silence descended on the room at her words. Norm stared out the window firmly, trying to regain control of his rebelling emotions before he faced them again. Hearing her actually say it and doing it so calmly had hit him harder than he'd expected. It was worse than how the girl once repeated her parents' words about wasting time and energy on their child. There was just something wrong about her accepting and surrendering to it rather than seeking to survive somehow. It was like she _wanted_ to die. And that would just…

No, he couldn't think that way. It would only make things worse. Norm wrestled those thoughts and emotions back under control and shoved them in a mental corner. He needed to focus. He could deal with everything else later.

It was such a beautiful morning. Too bad reality was putting a damper on things.

"I'm sorry," Turner said. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's fine. I've had a long and fulfilling life," she assured. "I've raised so many children and even out-lived some of them. And I've met my numerous grandchildren. Each and every member of my family are wonderful people who I love very much. And I've had several dear friends, even after I spent so much time certain I would never even have one. Honestly, I've had a good, long, amazing life. I have no regrets."

Turning back to the room finally, Norm said, "Unfortunately, I disagree on the 'long' part."

"I know," Amanda said quietly, reaching out a withered hand towards his. "You've been alive for thousands of years. My life must seem like a blink on an eye for you."

Squeezing her hand gently, he nodded, "Pretty much." Norm couldn't help how choked up his voice sounded when he spoke those two words, but he couldn't let it stop him. "You humans have such… _short_ and fleeting lives. You barely exist in this world before you're _gone_. That's what makes it so difficult when…" The genie grimaced briefly, trying regain some control of his voice while also figuring out how to say the next part properly. "I did my best to give you as much time as possible. And I guess it is kind of appropriate that it ends on the same day it all began. I've known you for exactly a century, Amanda Adams. And you have always been an amazing and wonderful human being. But I have to accept… you've reached the end of your human lifespan. And there isn't much anyone can do about it."

Norm closed his eyes briefly, hating the finality of his own words. But this was the entire reason he came to see her. Reluctantly, he released her hand and gave her a weak smile. Then he reached into his pocket of his teal vest.

"I'm not like you, Amanda," Norm admitted. "It takes a while to change after a few millennium of behavior. Being nice and selfless isn't exactly a habit for me. I'm more used to thinking about my own desires. I've never had anyone in my life more important than myself, at least not before I met you. So please forgive me if I'm not the best of letting events unfold naturally just because someone else wants to accept them. Especially when I really don't want to lose."

He pulled out the small object from his pocket. The genie had managed to keep a hold of it through the destruction of his original lava lamp, his near death experience, and about a hundred years of life with his former master. He'd been saving it for just the right situation. After all, he knew better than most the value and importance of making the right choice when using his most precious gift.

"What is that?" asked Turner, his face etched with confusion while recognition lit up Amanda's.

"What does it look like, boy? It's a birthday candle," Norm said, looking at the tiny teal object. "Today is Amanda's birthday. There has to be a candle on some kind of cake."

He snapped his fingers and a _gong_ rang out, leaving a purple cupcake in his hand. As he placed the candle on top, he realized that tears had started escaping at some point earlier. Briefly, the genie wondered when that happened and was annoyed he'd not stopped it before, but he decided that he didn't really care. His reputation was already in shreds, especially in regards to these two. Besides, he needed to hurry before he changed his mind.

"Norm, what are you doing?" Amanda asked.

Lighting the candle with another quick finger snap and a _gong_ , he said, "What does anyone do when they have a birthday candle on a cake, kid? You blow it out. And wish for the one thing that you want more than anything else in the entire universe. _You_ gave me that. Remember? You gave me the one thing that I never had. In fact, you gave me the one thing that no genie has ever had and probably will never have again. You gave me the freedom to choose my own wish, to use the full magical wish-granting potential for their own desires. And I'm so sorry."

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to at least slow down the tears. She was going to hate him. She was going to hate him and it would break his heart, but he was going to do it. He'd considered all his options for the last several years as he watched his former master wither away into almost nothing. He'd imagined various scenarios and tried to figure out what would be the best way to fix everything that was wrong. And he'd wanted to ask her, but he knew she would never agree to any of them. After all, she was the one person who could never wish for herself.

But he could. He could make the decision to be selfish. And no matter how he might try to rationalize his final choice on the matter, Norm knew that it was ultimately selfish. He picked what he wanted most.

"I'm sorry," he repeated as he opened his eyes again. "I know this isn't what you wanted, Amanda. In fact, you don't even get a choice in the matter." The genie gave a choking laugh at his words, still crying against his best efforts, "Which is really unfair since you always gave me a choice. You never forced me to grant a wish that I'd regret or that would make me miserable. You never tried to make me do anything that I didn't ultimately agree to. You'd say 'please' or try to convince me or sometimes guilt me, but I always had a choice in the end. Of course, you're the most wonderful and selfless human being on the entire planet. And I'm the untrustworthy, selfish, manipulative jerk who never deserved to have you in my life."

"You're not," she whispered, a shocked and confused look on the wrinkled old face. "You're my friend."

"What are you planning?" asked Turner, trying to climb out of bed while not having the strength in his withered body to make it. "I know you, Norm. You would never hurt her. What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Amanda," he continued. "I am truly sorry that I'm taking away your say in the matter, but I'm too selfish to change my mind. You're welcome to hate me for the rest of your life. That's perfectly understandable. I wouldn't blame you at all. But I'm over 50,000 years old and I know that even a _single_ millennium with the memory of you dying like this, after only 108 years of life, would be too painful. I'd rather go through the destruction of my lamp again. I _refuse_ to live with that knowledge." Norm gave a weak and very fake smile. "So I won't."

She'd hate him for this. It was a selfish, weak, and heartless choice. He shouldn't do this, but the genie knew it was the only decision he could live with.

He glanced towards Turner briefly, the old man clearly confused and worried by this point. Maybe he understood Norm's point of view. After all, Turner outlived his wife. And now the genie was about to outlive the child he loved. Maybe Turner would have made the same selfish choice if he'd had the opportunity. Or maybe Turner was just stronger than the genie and would have chosen differently.

Regardless, it didn't matter. Time was up.

Her voice filled with concern, the old and dying woman said, "Norm, what are you—"

"Please forgive me for this, Amanda," the genie interrupted. "But this is what I want."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was it.

"I wish," Norm stated in a wavering and tear-choked voice, "that Amanda Adams was… a genie… and Timmy Turner was a fairy."

And then he blew out the candle.

_Gong!_

Even though he felt the magic unleashed from the birthday candle and heard the familiar sound ring out, Norm was afraid to open his eyes. Too many things could go wrong. What if it didn't work if a genie made the wish? After all, other genies couldn't use each others' lamps to make wishes. They'd tried in the distant past, but it never happened. What if her attempt to give him a wish didn't work? Or at least, it wouldn't work for him? He didn't want to even risk trying to make her a _free_ genie, just in case. He only had one chance at a wish and he didn't want it to fail. And even if his wish did work, she'd probably hate him for transforming her against her will. He took away her choice in the matter. No one liked having their freedom stolen away, even if the person who took it did it out of love.

"Norm?"

The voice made him open his eyes. The exhaustion and burden of age was gone from her voice. He remembered how it used to sound and that was how it sounded now.

The white hair, wrinkles, and the glimpses of death trying to steal her were gone. It was like an entire century had reversed. She was a young child again, her physical appearance so similar to that of when he first met her. Of course, there were certainly some differences. She was floating above her bed now, her body ending in a dark blue smoky tail. She was probably the only genie in existence who wore a turtleneck, but it certainly suited her better than the traditional style of clothes that were more popular with the species. The gold bracelets on her wrists were new, but Norm really couldn't prevent those from appearing. Similarly, the purple bottle now resting on her nightstand was part of the package deal. From his guess, she had about five minutes before she vanished inside and was trapped.

"Norm?" she repeated. "What—?"

"Why am I a kid again?" interrupted Turner, floating into view.

He definitely looked a lot like his annoying child self, only there now seemed to be a crown that encircled his floating pink hat. The two almost seemed to be fused together. It was actually kind of amusing that nothing could separate the kid from his hat. He also seemed to be handling the wings quite easily and apparently had a smidgeon of common sense about not waving his new wand around too much yet.

"Well, you would technically be a toddler by fairy age standards, but apparently the wish rounded you up to the age where you were first exposed to magic," Norm remarked. "So be grateful that diapers aren't an issue."

"Why? Why did you wish for… this?" asked Amanda, gesturing to herself and Turner.

The genie glanced down in guilt, "You lived a full human life, just like you wanted. And it was over. Your time was up. But I couldn't just… If your human lifespan was up, then I wanted to give you more time somehow. You deserved better than just a single century. And I didn't want to lose you. So even if you'll hate me for this and probably never want to see me again, I knew there was nothing else that I could ever wish for."

Norm was almost knocked out of midair as the child genie tackled him with a hug, declaring, "I _don't_ hate you. I could never hate you. You were my first friend and you've always been one of my best friends."

He couldn't respond to that. He'd been certain she would be at least a little mad at him for this. He'd gone against what she'd wanted, to live a normal human life. He took away her choice and transformed her without asking. And she didn't seem to care.

Would she ever stop surprising him?

"I know these last few years must have been tough on you, watching me get old. I'm sorry," she said, as if she was responsible for the problems of being mortal. "Thank you for staying with me. And thank you for letting me live out my human life. You were right. It was over. But I guess I'm not quite done yet. It would have been nice if you told me, but I can understand why you wouldn't. You were afraid I'd say to just let me die as a human. But that wouldn't be fair for you. It wouldn't be fair to leave you alone for millennia."

Norm let himself relax for the first time in what felt like years. She didn't hate him. And he wasn't going to lose her. His sweet and wonderful girl was going to be alive for a long time. Everything was going to be all right.

"And me?" Turner asked. "Why did you include me in your wish?"

"I told you. You make Amanda happy. And… maybe your particular wand-wavers aren't so bad and would probably love to have you around a little longer."

The new fairy grinned, "You really have changed from when I met you."

"Don't spread it around. I might still have a few _tiny_ shreds of a reputation left, Turner."

"So what now?" asked Amanda, glancing at her bottle with a small frown.

"You'll get forcibly sucked in there pretty soon. I'll see if I can fix up some fake dummies that look like the two of you for the funerals. Then I'll visit the adopted kids who actually know about me and tell them the truth. And I'll figure out which one is likely to wish you free without getting to crazy with the whole 'three rule-free wishes' thing," Norm explained. "After that, who knows? But we'll have plenty of time to figure it out."

"Great," remarked Turner. "And while you take care of that, there's a few people I really want to see again."

"Do you know how to work that thing?" asked Norm as the boy raised his wand.

"Yeah, I temporarily turned myself into a fairy godparent once. And then there was the time they gave me an emergency wand after Poof was born. I know how to do this," he answered. "I'll tell Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof that the two of you said 'hi'."

With a quick wand wave, the pink-hatted fairy vanished with a _poof_. The genie could only imagine the chaos that would erupt in Fairy World soon. Hopefully someone would get it on video. Jorgen's reaction would be particularly fun to see.

Amanda gave him a smile that he quickly returned, pushing away all other thoughts. His kid was safe and sound. And she didn't hate him. That was all that mattered to him at that moment.

"Come on, kid," he said. "Let's get out of here before Jorgen Von Stupid shows up to freak out about me turning Turner into a fairy."

She nodded and grabbed Teddy from her bed. Then, with a look of concentration, she snapped her fingers. The young genie vanished into her lamp with her ancient teddy bear, a _gong_ ringing out from her first use of magic. Norm gathered up her bottle and the lava lamp from the night stand in his arms. Then, sparing a final glance around the room, he snapped his fingers.

 _Gong_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me really hopes that you felt a little choked up at some point in this chapter. Yes, Amanda grew old and was dying. And yes, Norm is forced to deal with watching the rate of human aging, which is something he'd never really cared about since he'd never really cared about humanity in general. So that can't have been easy for him to handle. But that doesn't mean he won't find a way to cheat death so he can keep her. After all, genies tend to like finding loopholes.
> 
> And yes, I did pretty much ignore the issue of whether Timmy married Tootie or Trixie. As I said before, with a little character development, either girl is a viable option for him. So just use your imagination on who he married and pick the one that you prefer.

**Author's Note:**

> There is also a TvTropes page in case any of you are interested: 
> 
> http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/NeverHadAFriendLikeMe


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